For a Friend
by JustPlainDani
Summary: All Suzuki Sakura ever wanted to do was protect her friends. When she is suddenly abducted from Karakura Town, it's their turn to save her... but just how far are they willing to go? AizenxOC, GinxOC, UlquiorraxOC
1. Prologue: Friendship

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. I receive no monetary benefit from this work.

--

It happened insanely fast.

One minute, her reiatsu was there; the next, it was blocked by something stronger, and then gone.

Nakamura Mizuki pulled out her cell phone. Her best friend, Suzuki Sakura, always had her phone turned on and almost always picked up.

"Hi! You've reached Suzuki Sakura. I'm very sorry I've missed your call, but if you-" Mizuki snapped her phone shut. Sakura's phone never went straight to voicemail. Ever.

She dialed Sakura's friend, who was two years older than they, and closer to Sakura than a real sister.

Tanaka Akemi picked up on the first ring.

"Nakamura-kohai! Did you notice Sakura's reiatsu disappear?!" The older girl's voice was frantic.

"That's what I was calling about." Mizuki's voice was calm. "Did you notice that it was overshadowed by something much, much bigger?"

"Yeah, I did..."

"Well, then. Meet me in front of Urahara Shoten in five minutes. I think he may know what's happened to Sakura-chan."

"Urahara Shoten?"

"Yeah. Kurosaki told that if something weird like this ever happens, we need to go down there."

"Okay."

Ten minutes later, they stood in the door of Urahara Shoten, angry and demanding answers.

"Why don't you ladies come inside?" the blonde man asked.

"Please, just tell us if you noticed anything creepy around ten minutes ago!" Akemi cried in desparation.

The man's face darkened. "Why don't you ladies come inside?" he said again, his tone darker.

Once inside, he turned to them.

"I think it's time I told you girls what's really been going on here. Nakamura-chan, are you familiar with a guy in your year called Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"What does Sakura-chan disappearing have to do with Kurosaki?!" she demanded.

Urahara turned around. "It's not necessarily Kurosaki, but someone who Kurosaki's somewhat... familiar with... someone called Aizen Sousuke."


	2. Demons and Angels

**Disclaimer:** All Bleach characters, places, etc. belong to Kubo Tite-sensei. I receive no monetary benefit from this work.

_--_

_It was a sunny day in Karakura Town, and Suzuki Sakura was walking home from school. She tugged at the sleeve of her top; they were never quite as long as she would have liked them to be._

_A scream jerked her out of her thoughts. She whipped her head around to face her middle school._

_A crowd was conveining in the faculty parking lot. She sprinted towards it; being a star on the track team, it didn't take her long to reach it._

_There, splayed out across a teacher's black sports car, was the body of Satou Sayuri, Sakura's best friend since the start of gradeschool. Someone who had seemed to love her life, her friends, and her family. Dead._

_Sakura screamed, sinking to her knees as a howl of rage became a tormented cry as she sank down, down, further and further into the darkness, not noticing the one teacher who stood in the back, knowing he was responsible..._

"NO!" Suzuki Sakura sat up in her bed, her big amber eyes snapping open. She glanced around her, then realized she was safe in her room. Then she noticed that the alarm clock was buzzing.

"Uwah?! Six o'clock already?!" she cried, angry that a peaceful night's sleep had passed her by again.

_Who're you kidding?_ she asked herself as she got up, put her contacts in and began to run water for a shower. _You're probably **never** gonna get a decent night's sleep for a long, long time._

Too lazy to dry her shoulder-length hair when she got out of the shower, she braided it quickly, changed into her new uniform, and went to get some breakfast.

Her father was long gone by now, and her mother would still be asleep until after she had begun to walk to school, so she pulled some ceral out of the cabinet. A note from her father was on the table:

Sakura-chan,

Be glad, for it's your first day of high school.

A bright new future is awaiting you as Karakura High opens its doors to you today.

Do your best. I love you.

Yours, Your father

It read more like a greeting card than a note from her father. But what did she care? It was like she ever saw the man. He was gone long before she got up and came home when she was trying to work through her homework. If it wasn't that, he was away on business, usually to Great Britian or America. But she didn't usually bother herself with her father's issues, and he didn't bother himself with hers.

Her mother entered the bathroom as she was putting on her makeup.

"Good morning, sweet thing."

"Morning, Ma." Sakura replied, applying mascara with a firm hand.

"So... your first day of high school, huh?"

"Pretty much."

Sakura wished she wasn't so distant from her family. But what could she do? After Sayuri's death, her mother didn't seem to know how to handle her, and her father had sent her to shrink. But she decided not to think about that as she put her makeup back into the case and pushed past her mother.

"Momma, if I don't leave right now, I'll be late."

"Okay..." her mother said, allowing her daughter to pass. "I love you, Sakura." she said, kissing her daughter's forehead.

"Ma! What's with the sudden show of affection, ne?" she complained, trying to worm out of her mother's grasp.

"I..." her mother looked away, sadness in her eyes. "I just feel like I'm going to lose you very soon, Sakura."

She smiled and kissed her mother's cheek. "Don't you worry, Momma. I'm not going anywhere." She grinned. "Now, let me go!"

"Okay, okay."

--

Now on the road to her new school, she tugged at the sweater she'd been given. It was an incredibly chilly morning for late March, and she had been forced to wear her school sweater over the shirt and sweatervest that was the spring and fall attire.

She stopped to stare at her junior high. Not only did she miss the people there, but the building itself reminded her of the day her friend died... and she knew why.

It was that teacher. Takahashi-sensei. He'd done something to Sayuri, Sakura knew, she had seen it in her friend's eyes. But of course, with no way to prove it and Sayuri unwilling to say anything to anyone, no one had done anything about it...

Sakura wanted to see him arrested on charges like stautory rape and murder, but she knew it would never happen. If Sayuri hadn't told her something was up, then she definately hadn't told anyone else.

Sakura clenched her fists in rage. _I have to get stronger... I have to protect them..._ Her rage spiked as she pictured the lecherous smile on his face when her and Sayuri had passed him in a hallway one day; when Sakura herself had been walking down the hallway by his classroom alone after school...

_I have to get stronger! I **can't** let him get away with it! **He killed Sayuri!**_ She turned away from the building as hot, angry tears sprang into her eyes.

The appearance of an unusually high reiatsu made her freeze. The space before her suddenly opened up; she took a step back, her pupils dialated in terror as a man dressed head-to-toe in painfully bright white stepped out, a sadistic smile on his face.

"W-who are you?!" she demanded, taking another step back.

"My name is Aizen Sousuke," he purred. "but that is beside the point. I have a question for you, Suzuki Sakura. Do you want to get stronger?"

She blinked. "What did you say...?"

His wicked grin continued to widen. "Do you want to become stronger? So that you can protect your friends, prevent tragic... _accidents_ like these," he gestured to the school, "or perhaps, exact revenge on those who you feel deserve to be punished?"

Her eyes widened."..._**Yes**_...!" she breathed.

He offered a hand to her. "Then, come with me, Sakura-chan, and I will make you strong."

She wondered how this man could possibly make her stronger, but there was no doubt in his eyes. There was something else there, too, and whatever it was made her shake...

"Alright." she said firmly, placing a small, cold hand into his warm one.

His smile turned slightly more evil, but the satisfaction was clear in his dark eyes.

"Excellent. My dear, I shall make you stronger than you ever dreamed you could be."

She merely nodded as he led her through the portal.

--

"Okay, so you're telling me that this Aizen guy is some power-hungry shinigami with a God complex that thinks Sakura could aid him in his quest for power?!" Akemi slammed her fists on the table.

"Calm down, Akemi-chan. Although you have got the jist of the situation."

"Why?" Mizuki questioned. "Why... would he want her...?"

"Sakura-chan's reiatsu is incredibly high for a human girl who has no real fighting talent whatsoever. My guess? He's gonna try and use Hougyoku to see if he can turn humans who _aren't_ shinigami into Arrancar."

"In other words, it's safe to say he wants to experiment on her."

"Correct."

"And how do we stop it...?" Akemi asked quietly.

"You two are gonna have to go Hueco Mundo yourselves and try and convince him to fork her over."

"But she's a fifteen-year-old girl, not a piece of meat!" Mizuki said angrily.

"Well, actually, in Aizen's eyes, she's more like the best candidate for a new study. Or very nice-looking prime rib."

"We've **got** to do something!" Akemi yelled, rising. "I don't care what it takes, we're **going** to this Hueco Mundo place and we're gonna save Sakura!"

Mizuki nodded. "She would do the same thing for us, even if it cost her her life."

Urahara smiled. "Well. Why don't you two ladies go about your day, the return here after school? I'll have a portal open for you."

They nodded.

"Okay, then. I'll see you this afternoon. Also, if you need to say anything to anyone before you leave, you'd better do it before you come back here. I can't guarantee you'll return home in one piece."

They nodded again, determined.

"If Sakura was in our position, she'd already be in Hueco Mundo. I'm sure I want to go, even if I die there." Akemi said.

Mizuki gave a small nod of her head in agreement, pushing her blond hair over her shoulder. "Besides, it's not like anyone's at home looking for me." she said. And that was true. Life for Nakamura Mizuki was like living alone.

Akemi patted her shoulder. "At least leave a note for your mother." she said gently.

Mizuki continued to stare on.

"C'mon now, Mizuki-chan, let's go to school."

They exited the shop, both on the verge of tears.

--

"What is this place...?" Sakura muttered, turning her head around to look at the painfully white walls of the building she was in.

"This is Las Noches, our castle and your new home, my dear." Aize nsaid, turning around to smirk at her. She chuckled, and the smile disappeared from his face. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing. It's just, "Las Noches" is translated literally from Spanish as, "The Nights". It kind of fits."

He stared at her, not knowing what to say.

"I took Spanish during my third year of middle school." she explained. "I have a love of learning forgein languages."

He nodded, commiting it to memory. After all, part of the experiment would be if her personality was affected at all by the transformation...

"This is where you'll be staying, Sakura-chan." he said, gesturing to the door on her right. She turned the handle slowly.

"Thanks..." she muttered. Sakura still wasn't sure what to make of all this. After all this place was so painfully white... it almost bothered her.

"I wonder..." Aizen mused to himself, then turned to her. "Sakura-chan." he said seriously. "Do you... by any chance, do you drink tea?"

She face brightened a bit. "Actually, yeah, I'm pretty fond of it." she said, putting it very mildly.

Aizen smiled. He certainly had picked out the right one.


	3. Plushies

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. Ohba Tsugumi-sensei owns Death Note. Both these series own me.

--

As Tanaka Akemi landed lightly on the sand of Hueco Mundo, she chuckled to herself. Sakura would hate it here. No trees, no sun, no flowers. Sakura had always hated sand; she even hated beaches. Deserts were pretty much like giant beaches anyway, just without the water, which made them that much more annoying. Yes, she knew her "little sister"'s train of thought very well. The polar opposite of Sakura, Akemi was optimistic, bright, and an all-around happy person. Sakura had never been, in the six years Akemi had known her- it had just gotten worse after she hit middle school.

"Ne, senpai, d'you think that's it?" Mizuki's comment tore the older girl out of her thoughts. She followed Mizuki's gaze to the giant building in the distance.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's it, Mizuki-chan." Akemi remarked.

"Okay then, let's go." Mizuki said, beginning to run.

"Mi-mizuki-chan! Slow down! We're not all stars on the track team, ya know!" Akemi cried as she attempted to catch up.

"I'm _not _gonna slow down." Mizuki called. "I didn't like the way Urahara-san talked about that Aizen guy. I don't want to leave Sakura alone with him longer than necessary."

She didn't need to say any more; Akemi instantly quieted, her face darkening with determination, and quickened her pace. Mizuki was right; they had to reach her before anything happened to her.

--

Sakura sat gently on the bed, dressed in a simple white kimono that she had been given to sleep in. She gently coaxed the alastics out of her short hair, then unbraided it, wondering what to do. She stood up and wandered to the desk; there was paper, along with a few pencils.

She began to sketch.

After a while, the candles were burning low, but as she had no clock, Sakura had been unable to tell how late it had gotten. She heard her door open; her head snapped up and she turned to face the door.

"Who's there?" she asked, not allowing the terror the was pumping adrenaline through her body to show itself in her voice.

"Just me." She recognized Aizen's smooth voice instantly. He stepped out of the shadows, two cups in his hand; he passed one to her as she put down her drawing pencil and turned to face him, tugging on the bottom of her kimono. _Why is this thing so freaking short?!_ she thought angrily as she put on a smile.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Aizen-sama?" she asked, sipping her tea and sounding overly formal even to herself.

"Nothing." he said, smirking. "I saw candles lit and assumed you were still awake. I wanted some tea and assumed you would to." he said simply, leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

She stared at him over the rim of her teacup, trying to analyze this. She still didn't understand that much about the situation. All she really had gotten was that Aizen was some kind of power-hungry idiot and that he could make her strong. She decided to test her luck.

"Aizen-sama?" she asked, her expression innocent.

"What is it?"

"Uhm... can I ask you something...?"

"Why of course, Sakura-chan." he said, a seemingly sweet smile crossing his face. Sakura saw right through it; after all, how many times had she seen that kind of smile after Sayuri's death...? Still, she kept up her facade.

"I was just wondering... what is it exactly that you are trying to do here?"

Her question surprised him, but that did not stop him from answering.

"You see, Sakura-chan, since the beginning of time, no one person has occupied heaven- not me, no shinigami, or even God himself." Her fists clenched; her faith in her religion was strong. Still she kept a straight face as he continued. "So you see, one day... I will stand in heaven."

She raised her eyebrows skeptically, but proceeded to finish off her tea. She set the cup down on the desk with a sigh. Talk about a God complex here. How thick could you get?

"Tell me about the Arrancar." she said, not bothering to make it a question while knowing she was pushing her luck.

Again, she was met with curiosity, but was still had things explained to her.

"Arrancar are basically Hollows that have had their masks ripped off. Inside of them, the boundary between shinigami and hollow may have potentially been destroyed. This is the key to limitless power."

"Limitless power?"

"Yes." He hadn't missed the faint glint of desire in her eyes at the mention of that.

"...So where does that put me?" she asked bluntly.

"You?"

"You said that you could make me strong, Aizen-sama." Her stare was harsh.

This time, a sick, awful smile spread across his face. "There is a device called Hougyoku which is used to turn Hollows into Arrancar." he said. "I have yet to see how it would affect a human, a human with an incredibly high reiatsu."

"In other words, someone like me. You're planning on turning me into an Arrancar."

She was incredibly smart, and her manner of speaking was crazily direct. He liked this. For too long, he had been surrounded by people who had to constantly have things explained to them. However, it seemed that Sakura could connect Point A and Point B in her mind, without being told. It was a relief.

"It seems you already comprehend the situation."

She stared sadly at the floor. "How much time do I have?" The question was so quiet that he almost missed it.

"How much do you want?" he asked, kneeling down so that he was eye level with her.

"I don't know. I don't care."

Gently taking her chin in his hand, he turned her face so that he could look into her eyes. How beautiful they were; a deep, warm amber.

"Has your life taken such a horrible turn that you would really throw it all away?" his voice was gentle, but she knew better. She knew guys like him, who used kind words and a smile that could bring nations to their knees to get inside your head...

Angry, she smacked his hand away from her face. "Get out." she muttered, suddenly enraged. He sensed her reiatsu fluctuating, but continued to stay where he was.

"What did you say?" he asked, almost teasingly.

"_Get out_." she said, louder, stronger.

"Get out, what?"

"Aizen-sama. _Get out of my room_. **_Right now_**." Her amber eyes flashed, and the way her overlong bangs shadowed them made her look plain frightening. He stood, took the cup from the desk, and took his leave, slowly closing the door.

As soon as she heard his footsteps die down, her fist collided with the desk. She stood, shaking. How was it that someone could seem so like _him_...?! The second she'd been forced to meet his eyes, she'd felt like she was staring at Takahashi-sensei the day that Sayuri had died. Those eyes... that seemingly kind smile...

"Augh!" Her fist collided with the wall, tears streaming down her face as she made a serious effort not to start screaming. Didn't anyone at all see how damaged it had made her? Did anyone even _care_?

And maybe that was why she'd taken Aizen's hand, deciding to follow blindly. So that maybe, if she became stronger, she could overcome the pain. It was far too late to undo the damage, but it was never too late to heal. Or at least, that was what Izumi-sensei - who had been like her mother after Sayuri's death - had always told her. But maybe the key to healing was knowing that she could protect them...

Still shaking, Sakura crawled into the massive bed, buried her face in the blankets, and curled herself into a ball. She wished she had her oversized Death Note plushie- seeing the little Ryuzaki biting his thumb and staring up at her with those huge grey eyes always made her smile. Tears still coming, she began to sob helplessly into the pillow until she finally fell asleep.

--

Aizen sat on his throne, staring out into the desert with a somewhat blank look. What on Earth had caused Sakura to react that way? She certainly was a complex person... after she had a Hollow in her, he wondered how much of that spunk would remain. The end result certainly would be interesting.

--

Akemi's thoughts drifted to the Ryuzaki plushie in her backpack. She'd taken it from Sakura's room, knowing that it comforted her. Not being a Death Note fan (for she detested anything with the word 'death' in it, aside from the Bible), she couldn't understand why it meant so much. But hey, it was actually darn cute, and it made Sakura happy. Not knowing if she was alright, she had a feeling her "sister" might need it, so she'd gone to her house before going to Urahara Shoten and picked it up.

Mizuki sensed that her thoughts were far away, so she stopped and put her hand on the older girl's shoulder when she caught up.

"So... how do we get in?" Mizuki said after allowing Akemi to catch her breath.

"You think I know?"

"Well, I mean, to we do some badass breaking and entering, or do we just knock on the door and ask to speak to that Aizen guy?"

"Whatever you wanna do."

At that moment, the monstorous doors opened, and a pale black-haired boy went out to greet them.

"Who are you?!" Mizuki demanded.

"That matters not. However, Aizen-sama has requested your presence immediately."

The two girls exchanged a look. Mizuki nodded to Akemi, who stepped forward.

"Lead the way." she said firmly. They followed after him into the castle, wondering fleetingly what would become of them and their friend.

--

"Aizen-sama. The two human females you requested are here." Ulquiorra's tone was, as always, cold and formal.

"Thank you, Ulquiorra. You may leave now."

As the Espada took his leave, Mizuki and Akemi exchanged another look. Already, they didn't like Aizen. There was something too... sweet, too lovely, about the sound of his voice.

Slowly, the chair spun around to reveal the man who had kidnapped their friend. Akemi, a talented actress, appeared to remain completely calm; Mizuki, however, clenched her fists in rage and looked ready to hit him.

"Akemi-san. Mizuki-san." he greeted them with a sick smile. "Welcome to my humble home of Hueco Mundo, and my palace of Las Noches."

A small growl from Mizuki made him raise his eyebrows in amusement; women's emotions were so much fun. Still, he decided to cut to the chase.

"In case you were wondering, Sakura-chan is perfectly fine." That sick smile continued to widen. "For now, that is. I have my own plans for her."

"I don't know what you're planning here, but I won't stand for it!" Mizuki yelled. "I don't know what it is you want from Sakura-chan, but I'm not gonna let you have your way, dammit!"

Aizen sighed. "Gin."

A silver-haired fox-faced man stepped out from the shadows. "What is it, Aizen-sama?"

"Why don't you take our friend..." he gestured to Mizuki, "... downstairs."

"What?!" Mizuki looked outraged and ready to run as Gin locked her arms behind her back. She gasped from the sudden stretch, and Gin proceeded to take her through the door, leaving Akemi alone with Aizen.

"Akemi-san." he said. "How badly would you like to see Sakura-chan?"

"Pretty bad." she choked out, barely able to speak as he rose from the chair and approached her.

"And... would you be willing to do... anything to save her?"

Petrified, Akemi nodded once. "I-I'll do anything you ask." she said. "Just let her go!"

"I'm afraid I can not." he said, staring down at her from his lofty height. "She has already decided to join me. However, Akemi-san... you could do the same..."

Her eyes widened. "What?"

"Join me, Akemi-san, and I can let you stay here with Sakura-chan for the rest of your lives. I will make you two strong, and together you would be the most feared of all my Arrancar."

"... If... If it'll make Sakura happy." she said, closing her eyes.

His smile was victorious. "Excellent." He turned to face out into the desert. "Kaname."

A dark-skinned man appeared, stepping out from the shadows in the corner.

"Please take Akemi-san to her room."

The dark skinned man nodded, then held the door, showing her the way.

Maybe this was why women were so much fun to mess with. They were just so emotional, so submissive that it was almost funny. Well, to Aizen at least.

He smiled to himself. Now he had two, soon to be three new Arrancar. This certainly would be interesting to watch.


	4. Changes

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. Ohba Tsugumi-sensei owns Death Note. L and Aizen own me.

--

Suzuki Sakura stood before Aizen the next morning, eyes wide with fear, but still determined. She glanced nervously at the Hougyoku again.

"Sakura-chan." he said in a soothing voice. "Do you trust me?"

Staring back into his eyes, and who they reminded her of, she almost said, "No." But something stopped her. Maybe it was that she really didn't care about her life anymore. That she'd stopped caring a long time ago. Also, she was sure that if world domination or whatever was what Aizen really wanted, he'd try his best.

She sighed. "Yes." she whispered.

"This is going to hurt."

"I don't care."

"Alright." he said with a smirk, and took a step closer to her.

_--_

_He wasn't lying when he said it would hurt_, she thought a few minutes later, wrapping her arms around herself and allowing a small cry of pain to escape her lips.

"For a human, she's very strong." Tousen remarked.

"Indeed." Aizen said, smirking as her whimpers became all-out screams. Gin winced slightly.

"Ya dun think this was a bit much, Aizen-sama?" he asked quietly. Having grown up in Rukongai with Rangiku, he hated to see women in pain.

They were silent as her screams began ranging from high-pitched, teenage girl screams to the bone-chilling sound of a Hollow's howling within minutes.

"Would you look at that," Aizen muttered.

"What is it?" Tousen questioned.

"When I had done things similar to this on shinigami, the body would explode, then reform, and the mask would come last. With the Espada and the other Arrancar, it was the same." He stopped to stare on as the changes became more frequent and a white mask began to form over Sakura's face. "But, in this case, the mask is forming first, and she's taking on an almost-Hollow state wile still in a human body."

It was true. Her dark brown hair had faded to a light beige; her sunkissed skin was almost paler than Ulquiorra's, and her mask was forming slowly over the right side of her face. Her reiatsu was slowly changing, but not as it usually did. In fact, it...

It almost seemed like the transformation of a Vizard.

--

Akemi's eyes snapped open. Something inside- what she and Sakura liked to call "ESPN"- told her that her "baby sister" was in pain. She jumped out of bed and sprinted down the hall. She had no idea where she was running to, but it seemed like a reiatsu similar to Sakura's was right around...

She skidded to a stop when she heard the screams. One she recognized instantly as Sakura's cry of pain- but the other one was more terrifying, more absolutely terrfying, than anything she'd ever heard in her life.

The door flew open.

"_What the **hell**?!_"

Aizen, Tousen and Gin turned around to see Akemi's horrified figure in the doorway.

"What... what are you... _where's Sakura_?!"

Aizen smiled. Akemi instantly shrank back.

"Would you like to see her?" he asked, as scream that was most defiantely Sakura's rang through the room.

"**_Where is she?!_**"

"Why, you're just in time to see her in her... _stronger_ form." Her lead the girl to where they had been watching.

And then, everything exploded. Black flames engulfed the figure that had been previously been curled up in pain; and then she rose.

It couldn't be anyone else but Sakura- no one here had _that_ kind of body, aside from Halibel. Her dark hair now cascaded down her back; she wore the Arrancar uniform, but with a short skirt and combat boots. The top had the shoulders cut out and a diamond shape cutting across the front, beautifully hilighting the girl's curves; the sleeves, however, were long and insanely wide.

Akemi couldn't be sure it was her friend, however- a Hollow mask hid the girl's face.

"Sa... Sakura...?" she asked, timidly taking a step forward.

The girl unsheathed a delicate-looking sword from her side, slowly bringing it up over her head, and poised it like she would bring it down on herself.

"Sakura, don't do it!" Akemi cried out, starting to run forward; Aizen's strong hand grabbed her shoulder and held her back as the sword came down.

"_No!_"

The mask shattered, and the figure stepped towards them, a wicked smile illuminating the beautiful face.

--

Mizuki slowly, reculantly, opened her eyes, though common sense told her not to. In the recesses of her mind, it was warm; the cell in which she was being kept for now was dank and cold.

"Wake up." a cold voice instructed.

"What?!" she said darkly.

"Sakura-san requests your presence." Ulquiorra stated.

"Sakura-chan?!" Mizuki sat up so fast Ulquiorra barely saw her move.

"Yes. Get yourself dressed." He turned and took his leave. "I will be waiting for you outside. Do not take long."

Soon, they had entered Aizen's dining hall/meeting room. Mizuki almost instantly recognized the girl standing next to Aizen. It took a minute, but the way she recoiled when Aizen put his large hand between her shoulder blades gave her identity away instantly.

"Sakura-chan!" she cried out, overjoyed to see her friend.

"Taiyou-chan." Sakura said, smiling. Something was different; she wore the Arrancar uniform, she had a slender blue-sheathed sword at her side, her hair was longer, and her eyes were no longer amber, but a beautiful shade of emerald green. Her voice had also sounded... different. More... melodic, almost.

The rest of the Espada filed in and took their seats. Akemi moved to stand with Mizuki.

"Sakura-chan, Akemi-san, Mizuki-san, why don't you ladies go outside for a bit? Sakura-chan, I'd like to see you when we've finished our meeting." Aizen smiled at down at her, causing her to supress the urge to squeal.

Sakura bowed politely. "Hai, Aizen-sama." she said as she led the other two out.

"When did _you_ learn to be so obedient?" Akemi asked once Sakura had closed the door.

"If I want to become stronger, it'd be smartest to do as Aizen-sama says." she replied. Mizuki had been right; the girl's voice was now... well, not like it had been. _Very_ different.

"So..."

"So what?"

Mizuki looked slightly distressed. "Is it really you, Sakura-chan? Are you still you after that? Even though now you've got a Hollow inside you?"

Sakura smiled sadly at her friend. "Yes, Taiyou-chan, I'm still me. And you'll always be you." She patted her friend's shoulder; though Sakura knew that Mizuki hated any kind of contact, Sakura was naturally an affectionate person. That much could never change about her.

"Oh!" Akemi clapped her hands together. "I just remembered! I brought you something! It's in my room!" She dashed off, with the other two following behind after only a few seconds' delay. They were at Akemi's room in almost a minute.

"Here!" she cried after digging in the backpack for a bit. "I found it!" She lifted out Sakura's plushie. She took it, cradling it against her chest, like she had since she first got it.

They knew right from that second she'd always be herself, no matter what she became.

"Uhm, Sakura...?"

"What is it, Taiyou-chan?" she asked, smilingly warmly while still holding her plushie.

"Sakura, d'you remember everything... about Sayuri-chan, and... about Takahashi-sensei?"

The mental image of his face unlocked her rage. However, she quickly recovered her calm; that was something she was noticing, the longer she was an Arrancar. Her emotions were slightly easier to control than they were before. There was only one thing she could not ignore.

The howling.

In the darkest pits of her mind, her inner Hollow lusted for blood, for souls. It wanted to lock on to her rage, get her to unleash it; Sakura steadied herself and finally spoke.

"Do not. Mention. That man. Around me. Again." she said slowly. Then she lifted her head, brightening her expression. "Why don't we put this in my room, and then go wait for the Espada meeting to end?"

Her friends nodded in agreement. Once in her room, she placed the little plushie on the bed, plopped down gracefully- if that was even possible- and sighed.

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Mizuki closed the door, while Akemi sat down next to her friend and put a hand on her shoulder.

"... I remember. I remember everything."

"You sound like you're angry about that." Mizuki stated apathetically.

"But this was my chance!"

"For what?"

"... I could've forgotten that it ever happened... or how mad it makes me... my nightmares... it could've _all _been behind me, for real this time, but it's _not!_ _**I could've made it stop!**_" Her now green eyes were steady filling up with tears as her voice cracked.

"But, Sakura, if you had forgotten that, you may not know who we are." Akemi said sadly. "And if that happened, were would we be? Aizen's probably not gonna let us leave, and if you didn't know us, then what would be the point of us coming here?"

"Yeah. And you wouldn't love that stupid plushie so much." Mizuki smiled as Sakura slowly pulled it close to her overly large chest.

"It's not stupid, Taiyou-chan." she grinned. Mizuki patted her shoulder.

"You see? No matter what happens to any of us, we'll always be friends." the blonde said soothingly as her glasses slid down her nose.

"Too lazy to put your contacts in?" Sakura asked, sliding them back up with her slender index finger.

"See? You're still you." Mizuki gave her shoulder another pat. Sometimes all she needed was a push, and then she was okay.

Sakura rose. "I better be there when Aizen-sama ends that stupid meeting." she said, opening the door and grabbing two hairties. Akemi and Mizuki followed her out.

Once outside the door to the meeting hall, Mizuki slid down the wall and sat on the floor; Akemi plopped down beside her, crossing her legs and placing her hands on the floor in front of her. Sakura leaned nonchalantly against the opposite wall. She quickly pulled her long hair into two low pigtails, then crossed her arms beneath her chest and closed her eyes.

After a while, Akemi broke the silence. "Y'know, Sakura, I gotta say, your figure is hilighted _really well_ in that outfit."

Sakura's eyes popped open, and she blushed slightly. "Wha-what figure?" she muttered, turning away.

"The one that makes you look closer to twenty than fifteen." Akemi said simply.

"Yeah, really." Mizuki added. "If you ask me, _that's _the reason Aizen picked you out from the crowd, rather than your reiatsu."

"What the hell is _with_ you today, Taiyou-chan?!" Sakura cried out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I'm just stating the facts." the blonde girl said, fiddling with the edge of her school skirt.

Just then, the door creaked open. The Espada filed out, followed by Gin and Tousen.

"Sakura-chan." Gin said, his never-ending smirk slightly ominous to her, "Aizen-sama'd like to see you now."

Sakura unfolded her arms, then walked slowly into the meeting hall. Gin shut the the door behind her, then turned to the other two.

"So. How're you ladies today?"

--

"Aizen-sama?" Sakura announced her presence, her right hand on the sword at her curvy hip, then gazed at the figure in the chair at the end of the table.

"Sakura-chan," he said, wearing that infamous 'come hither' look, "why don't you sit down, my dear...?"

Surpressing a slight fangirl reaction, she sat down in the nearest chair. "You said you wanted to speak to me...?"

He smiled, sending chill down her spine. "Sakura-chan, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Uhm, fine, sir." she said, placing her hands in her lap and staring at the tabletop.

"How much do you remember of your life before?"

"... I remember everything, Aizen-sama." she said quietly.

"Ah." he said, that smirk still on his face. "And the inner Hollow...?"

"It's annoying." she said quickly, grateful for the changing of the subject. "I don't like the screaming. But it seems to make my emotions a bit easier to control, which I like."

"Hm?"

"I've never had a good poker face," she explained, "and somtimes I'm so hot-headed and strong-willed that I don't relate to others well. In fact, I'm kind of surprised that Taiyou-chan and Akemi like me so much."

His smile broadened; he had been right about this one from the very smart. She was perfect, in body and mind, for what he needed.

--

"Ichimaru-sama?"

Gin glanced at Akemi, who had finally spoken up. "What is it, Akemi-chan?"

"I... I just wanted to know..." she looked up, her face full of conviction. "Why is your face like that?"

He chuckled. "Dunno." he said simply. "A smile makes me seem likeable, ne?" He cocked his head slightly.

She smiled back. "Yeah, it kinda does." she said.

--

"Come here, woman."

Mizuki met Ulquiorra's stare, her grey eyes cold behind her glasses. She crossed her arms and leaned back against the wall behind her.

"I said, come here, woman."

"...Make me." she finally said.

"I don't take orders from you, woman." the pale Espada said.

"And I don't believe I take orders from you, either." the blonde said sharply, closing her eyes.

Ulquiorra sighed. Why were some women so difficult to control?


	5. A Different Style

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. Ohba Tsugumi-sensei owns Death Note. I receive no monetary benefit from this work.

* * *

Sakura held her tea with a skeptical look. What was with this guy and his tea, anyway? Still, she sipped happily- who was she to refuse a good cup of tea?

"Sakura-chan."

"Yes?" Her reply was near instant. He smiled, wondering if she had always been this obedient.

"Sakura-chan, come here."

Her eyebrows shot up, but still she put down the cup and stood. Slowly, she walked over to him, her heart beating faster as he stood as well. She leaned her head back to meet his eyes- he was nearly a foot taller than her, even though she wore high-heeled boots.

He took a step closer to her, placing one hand on her neck and the other on her hip. Her green eyes widened as a hint of pink crept in to her cheeks.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered huskily, and closed the distance between their lips as he voice sent a chill up her spine.

She froze, shocked, and then wedged her arms between them, attempting to push him back. Surprised by her body language, he pulled away and looked down at her.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Ai-aizen-sama?!" she cried out, still trying to get away from him.

"Yes?" he answered smoothly.

"_What the hell was that?!_" she half-yelled.

"I was trying to kiss you. Is something wrong with that?" He smirked.

"_Yes, there is!_" she snapped, her voice rising.

Faster than she could've imagined, she was pinned to the wall behind her with nowhere else to look but his dark eyes.

"Sakura-chan," he said, still smirking, "this is _my_ castle, in _my _realm. And I _always_ get what I want."

She glared back at him, brilliant green clashing with deep chocolate until he finally released her. Blushing, she threw open the door, desparate to close the distance between her and her room.

He smirked at her disappearing form. What a strange woman. But either way, he knew that he _would _break her, and he _would_ make her love him, whether she liked it or not.

* * *

Mizuki suddenly stopped walking as Ulquiorra tried to lead her back to that stupid cell.

"Why did you stop?" he asked, not bothering to turn around.

"I want to see Sakura-chan." she said firmly.

"What?"

"You heard me. I want to see my friend. _Right now_."

As they turned around and headed in the direction of Sakura's room, they ran into Aizen, who stood in the doorway to the meeting hall.

"Aizen-sama." Ulquiorra said, bowing. When Mizuki didn't follow suit, he placed a hand on her back and shoved her into a bowing position.

"Mizuki-san." Aizen addressed her.

"Yeah?" she asked as Ulquiorra allowed her to stand.

"Would you like a decent room, Mizuki-san? Have you finally learned to hold your tongue?"

She glared at him, but she wanted a warm bed more than her pride. Besides, they'd be staying here a while- she may as well take him up on it.

"Yeah, that'd be great." she said.

Aizen smiled. "Ulquiorra. See to it that Mizuki-san gets a decent room- as close to Sakura-chan as possible."

Ulquiorra stood. "Aizen-sama, the room closest to Sakura-sama is the one that Akemi-san is placed in."

Mizuki stared at Ulquiorra, wondering why he'd added a "-sama" to the end of Sakura's name, but figured it could wait.

"Mizuki-san, do you mind sharing quarters with Akemi-san?"

She shook her head. "Not at all." she said, grateful for some place warm to sleep tonight.

"Ulquiorra, please prepare that room to be shared instead of single, would you?"

Ulquiorra bowed. "Hai, Aizen-sama." He turned to Mizuki. "Woman. You will follow to your friend's quarters."

Her stare was blank as she followed.

* * *

"Ichimaru-sama?"

"Ya?" The fox-faced man sure had revealed an awful lot about himself in the past few minutes. He'd grown up in the ghetto of Soul Society with a woman who most likely now hated him; he'd been Aizen's subordinate upon entry to the Gotei 13; he didn't always enjoy how cruel they were to some. She seemed to like him- he was fairly interesting to talk to.

"Could I... could I go and visit Sakura? Just for a bit?"

His grin softened. "You're awful close ta yer friend, arencha?"

"Yes." she said, smiling sadly. "She's not really a friend anymore, though. She's more like a sister."

Gin understood the bond pretty well. After all, he'd always viewed Rangiku as sort of a sister, or at least a much of a sister as he would ever know.

"Alright. I'll walk ya ta Sakura-sama's quarters, 'kay?"

She stood, cocking her head slightly. "Ichimaru-sama?"

"Yup?"

"Why... did you add a "-sama" to the end of Sakura's name?"

He turned to her. "'Cause. Aizen just claimed her as his, tho' I dun think she knows it yet. Anyway, she'll be the queen of Hueco Mundo soon, whether she likes it or not. Aizen-sama always gets what he wants 'round here."

Akemi was taken aback by this news. Aizen had 'claimed' Sakura? What did that even mean? She'd have to ask Sakura, soon.

* * *

All three girls were convened in Sakura's room, sitting in a circle on the bed. Sakura held her plushie close to her body, with her left leg curled under her body, shoes removed to reveal grey-black socks; Mizuki sat crossed legged with her arms crossed, while Akemi put her head in Sakura's lap.

"Is it true, what Ichimaru-sama said?" the older girl asked as Sakura put the plushie on her side, so that it leaned against her body.

"If he means Aizen's trying to claim me sexually, he's already made a pass." Sakura spat.

"**_What?!_**" the other two cried at once.

"Yeah, after you guys left, he tried to kiss me. Well, scratch that, he did, but-"

"He did_** what**_ to you?!" Akemi cried out in rage, lifting her head.

"Easy, Akemi." Sakura said gently, stroking her friend's hair and leaning her head back into her lap. "Let me finish. He kissed me, but I pulled away before it got too heated. Then he told me he always gets what he wants, and let me go."

"I was right." Mizuki said, smirking. "He totally wants you 'cause of your boobs."

"Would you _stop_?!" Sakura yelled, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at her friend.

"Nope." Mizuki lifted the pillow away from her face, still smirking. She tossed it back at her friend. "Let's face it, you and Sayuri will always have pervy old men running after you."

Sakura smiled sadly at the memory. Yes, she and Sayuri had always gotten whistled or stared at wherever they went; it had gotten worse for Sakura as she got older and filled out more. "Yup."

"Ne, I'll bet Takahashi-sensei'd be pretty damn jealous of Aizen if he knew what you guys were up to." Mizuki winked.

Sakura's face reddened. "_God, Taiyou-chan, cut it out!_"

Her friend continued to smirk. "Never."

Akemi patted Sakura's muscular leg. "I betcha that skirt's so short because Aizen wanted to get a look at your legs. They're so pretty, after all." she said.

"Same reason the chest is missing." Mizuki snorted.

"**_Fan service!_**" the all said together before bursting into a fit of laughter. Sakura sighed. Where had the time when life had always been this hyper gone?

Ulquiorra entered the door. "Sakura-sama, I've been instructed to inform that Aizen-sama requests your presence this evening for dinner."

Sakura heaved a sigh. "Tell him I'll be there." she said reluctantly. Ulquiorra left, and Akemi and Mizuki stared at her.

"What?!" she said defensively. "If I didn't comply anyway, he'd probly come in here and rape me later or something." she said matter-of-factly.

"True." Akemi said with a nod.

"So." Sakura said, raising her eyebrows and desparate to change the subject. "How goes it with Ichimaru-sama?"

"Huh?!"

"Don't lie to me, Akemi." the younger girl purred. "I saw you two together. You might as well tell me now, I'll find out anyway."

Akemi blushed and stared into space. "We talked, nothing more." she said quickly.

"What'd ya talk about?" Sakura asked in a singsong voice.

"Uhm, just his life and why he's always smiling. Stuff like that." Sakura didn't miss the look in Akemi's eyes. That girl was most definately love-struck, whether she knew it yet or not.

"And what did you tell him about you?"

"That you're basically my sister and I just want to protect you from everything."

"_Aw_." Sakura grinned, and patted her friend's head. "You couldn't have summed us up better."

Mizuki merely stared, wondering just how such a strong bond had formed between these two. It was plain to see they regarded one another as family rather than best friends; after all, Akemi was the closest thing Sakura, as an only child, would ever have to a real sister. Mizuki knew that Sakura regarded her in the same respect, but Sakura was one of those people that if you gave her tea once, she was your friend for life- she kept everyone close, and wore her heart on her sleeve. Mizuki clearly understood that Sakura's mind had always been easy for others to read, and she hated that.

As Sakura's now green eyes stared back at her, Mizuki realized that she had never clearly understood the depth of Sakura's love for her friends. How she was very clearly willing to give away her own life so that she could protect those she loved. She'd do anything for those she kept close to her heart.

There was a knock on the door, bringing all three out of their thoughts. "Uhm, Sakura-sama?" a frail girl's voice called through the door.

"Who's there?" Sakura commanded, trying to keep her voice gentle. The door creaked open, and an orange-red-haired girl stuck her head in.

"Uhm, my name's Inoue Orihime... and I just... well, everyone's talking about you, and I kind of... wanted to meet you for myself...?"

Sakura smiled, her big eyes radiating sunshine. "Please, come in, Orihime-chan."

The other girl bowed slightly, closed the door, and sat on the edge of the bed. "So... how are you? Are you adjusting well here?"

"Yes, I think so."

"...Does it hurt...?"

"Does what hurt?" Sakura was taken aback by the question.

"... Becoming a Hollow... is it painful?"

Sakura chuckled. "Painful doesn't even begin to cover it."

"Was it worth it?" Akemi asked quietly.

Sakura patted her head again, then began to stroke her hair. "Knowing that now I'm storng to be able to protect my friends is making it totally worth it." she said.

Ulquiorra entered. "Sakura-sama. Come with me."

"Geez, why don't we just invite the rest of you to our little pow-wow, huh?" she said sarcastically as Akemi lifted her head so Sakura could get off the bed.

Sakura turned to her friends.

"I'll be back later. Wait up for me, okay?"

Mizuki and Akemi nodded as Sakura left the room.

* * *

"Sakura-chan." Aizen purred as she entered the room.

"That's my name, don't wear it out." she said with contempt, plopping down in this nearest chair. Aizen smirked.

"In case you were wondering," the girl added, "that means you're starting to wear it out."

"You don't want to be here, do you, Sakura-chan." It was a statement rather than a question.

"If you mean Las Noches or Hueco Mundo in itself, that's okay. But if you meant here, in this room, alone, with you, then yes, I honest to God don't want to be here." she said bluntly.

He was taken aback by her willingness to be so direct. Maybe it was time to remind her of her place.

Aizen stood, and walked to were she was lounging nonchalantly in the chair. "Sakura-chan." he said, his voice dripping with honey.

"Yeah?" she snapped, tilting her head back to glare at him.

"Why have you become so cold, Sakura-chan?" he asked, leaning down to meet her eyes.

"... I don't want to talk about it." she said sharply, turning her face away.

"Do I remind you of someone you knew before...?" he asked, continuing to lean his face down to hers.

"As a matter of fact, you do." she snapped, meeting his eyes again.

"Someone you're not quite fond of."

"Behind every untrusting woman is a man who made her that way." Sakura said darkly. She didn't break eye contact; she didn't want to seem weak.

He finally stepped back and allowed her to begin breathing again. "Shall we eat, then?" he asked.

"Sure." she grumbled, crossing her arms beneath her chest. What an interesting ride this was turning out to be.

* * *

"So how does it go again, Akemi-chan?" Ichimaru asked, unsure.

"'Hey, Asian Boy, can I DayDeeDay!'" she said, demonstrating the proper dance moves.

"_What _is this called again?"

Akemi sighed. "It's a parody so a song by rapper. It's called, 'So Damn Stupid!'." she informed him for the third time.

"So... wanna start again?"

Akemi smiled. "Yup. From the top." she said, standing beside him.

"Man, sometimes I don't know what the hell he's saying, so I'm gonna write somethin' new for y'all." Ichimaru began.

"The songs are just, so damn stupid, like, 'DayDeeDay'! Hey Asian Boy, can I..."

"DayDeeDay! Hey, Akemi-chan, I really like your..."

"DayDeeDay! I made a fart..."

"Deebedee Day Deebedee Day!"

Mizuki burst into a fit of laughter, flopping back on her bed. "What the hell?"

"I showed it to you that one time we were on Sakura's computer, remember, Mizuki-chan?" Akemi said.

Ichimaru chuckled. This girl who thought her life was a musical was incredibly entertaining.

He wondered fleetingly how Aizen-sama was doing with the busty one before his attnetion was turned back to Akemi's dance instruction.

* * *

"Did you enjoy the meal, Sakura-chan?" Aizen asked.

She glared back at him, chopsticks in her mouth, which was too full of food to respond with coherent speech.

"I'll take that as a yes." he said with a drop-dead gorgeous smile. She swallowed her food and pushed some of the rice around on her plate.

"It was alright." she said begrudginly, although that was not the full praise it deserved. Sakura loved Chinese food beyond all reason; kind of like her unconditional love for alfredo sauce when she didn't like cheese. And this Chinese had been, by far, the best she'd had in her life.

Unwilling to voice her praises, however, she met Aizen's smirk with a look that, if looks could kill, would knock him from his seat.

"Now then, Sakura-chan, why the hostilies?" he teased.

"You haven't seen hostilies." she said darkly. He chuckled, and had his hand at her throat before she knew what hit her.

"You don't stand a chance against me, Sakura-chan. You might as well give it up and be a little more submissive." he said, his voice sending a chill down her spine.

"_Like hell I will_." she growled.

"I believe you've forgotten once again, my dear, where you are." he said, running his lips along her jawline.

Her sword was out and at his throat before he even saw it coming.

"Aizen-sama." she said darkly. "_Get off me. **Right now**_."

He chuckled. "You couldn't hurt me even if you wanted to."

She pressed the blade a little harder into his neck, drawing blood. "_Watch me_." she said as a sadistic smirk crossed her face, her inner Hollow going mad at the sight of blood.

He released her. "You're stronger than I thought." he said, pressing a hand to the wound in his neck.

She turned her head over her shoulder to flash him a wicked smile. "Don't underestimate me." She opened the big door and took a step out. "Oh, and thanks for the food, by the way." she added with a wink.

Aizen merely stared after her, placing a hand over his wound.

* * *

"Woman." Ulquiorra's voice was cold.

"Yeah?" the blonde girl asked, not bothering to open her eyes.

"Look at me." the Espada demanded. She stared blankly at him.

"What?" she asked.

"I need your measurements."

"What for?!" she asked defensively.

"For a proper uniform."

"Hang on a second, I never said anything about _joining_ you lot!"

"Aizen-sama commands it."

"Do I look like I care what that perverted son of a bitch thinks?" Mizuki asked.

"I do not care for your protests, woman. Now, give them to me."

"You want the truth? I don't know them." 'Suck on that.' Mizuki added in her mind.

"Then, I shall take them for you."

"No way!"

"Would you rather me call in Nnoitora?"

Mizuki shivered slightly at the thought of Nnoitora touching her, and then sighed.

"Fine."

* * *

Sakura sighed when she returned to her room, then collapsed across her bed, arms spread out in a T shape. She closed her eyes, then stood, placing her sword against the wall and glancing towards the bathroom. _A hot bath would be **really **nice right now..._ she thought.

She entered the bathroom, then dug around in the cabinets until she found what she was looking for. "Aha!" she cried out victoriously. The only thing better than a hot bath was a hot bubble bath. She opened the bottle and sniffed. "Yummy!" she muttered, turning around and running hot water. She quickly coaxed the alastics from her hair, then piled it in a bun atop her head before stripping and slipping into the water.

"Ooh, ah, hot, hot, hot!" she cried, but sank lower into the water anyway. She closed her eyes and heaved a sigh, relieved to finally be able to relax as the heat made her drowsy.

She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, or for how long she slept, but her eyes snapped open and she sat up in the tub. The water had turned from near boiling to lukewarm, and at least half the bubbles were gone.

_Guess I needed that more than I thought_, she said to herself, leaning forward to let the water out.

"Enjoy your bath, Sakura-chan?"

She shrieked and sank back into the water, gathering the bubbles around her chest.

"What the _hell_?!" she cried out as Aizen stepped forward, a bandage across his neck where her sword had cut him. She almost smirked at it, but that would have to come later.

He just smirked at her reaction.

"_What are you doing in my bathroom_?!" she yelled as he took a step closer to her.

"I wanted to know how my queen was doing. When I saw you asleep, I decided to wait for you to wake up." he said simply. "You look very cute in bubbles, by the way."

"Shut _up_!" she cried out defensively as a blush crept into her cheeks.

"Now, now, Sakura-chan. No need to get so angry." he said. "Now, come out of there."

"Like _**hell**_!" she yelled again, sinking deeper into the water.

"Don't make me get you out of there."

"... Turn around..." she snapped, blushing deeper.

He turned his back as she stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around herself.

"Okay," she said, "what do you want?"

Aizen smirked again, drinking in the sight of her. Lobster red for the heat of the water, dripping wet, a few beads of sweat rolling down the side of her face with a fairly fruity scent coming off her skin. Absolutely beautiful.

"_**Hey**_!" she snapped, pointing at her face. "My eyes are up here."

He chuckled. "And what beautiful eyes they are."

"Don't you ever_** stop**_?!"

"Not until I get what I want." he replied seductively, that infamous 'come hither' look in his eyes.

"Point for Taiyou-chan," she mumbled, supressing another fangirl reaction.

"What?" he asked teasingly.

"Nothing." she said quickly.

"In _that _case..." he said quietly, stepping toward her and placing a hand on the curve of her neck and shoulder and leaning his face close to hers, "why don't we pick up where we left off before you decided to become violent...?"

"No-" she stared to say, but was cut off by him pressing his lips gently to hers.

And then, Sakura found herself surprised- she was_ enjoying_ the fact that he was kissing her. Her arms wound themselves around her neck, her hands in his dark hair; she moaned softly as he ran his tongue over her lips.

_No!!_ a voice in the back of her mind yelled. _What are you **doing**, you dingbat?!_

Sakura slowly pulled away, leaving Aizen aching to do more to her.

"Okay. Time for you to go away."

"If you want me to go away so badly, why'd you kiss me back?" he teased. "You wanted that and you know it, Sakura-chan. It was written across every inch of your body."

"You _wish_."

"Fine." he said, stepping away from her. "I'll see you in the morning, Sakura-chan."

"Huh?"

"_Someone_ has to teach you how to use that sword of yours." he explained.

"Huh." she responded.

"Good night, Sakura-chan." he whispered as he left, allowing just a hint of desire to seep into his voice.

She flopped back on the bed after her door was closed, then ripped the alastic from her hair and changed into her sleeping clothes. She then walked through the bathroom, to the door that connected her room to Mizuki and Akemi's. She knocked politely before throwing it open.

"Knock, knock!" she yelled, stepping into the room and tossing the door shut.

"What's with you?" Akemi asked, not looking up from her book.

"Yeah," Mizuki turned her attention briefly from a bowl on Udon, "what's wrong?"

"_What's wrong?!** What's wrong?!**_" the girl sputtered.

"Oh boy, here she goes," Akemi muttered, marking her spot in the book and placing it on the bed beside her.

"**_Aizen totally just walked in on me bathing, that's what's wrong!_**" Sakura yelled.

"Doesn't surprise me." Mizuki said flatly before shoving another bite into her mouth.

"What do you mean. it doesn't surprise you?!"

"No offense, Sakura-chan, but I kind of see Aizen as a... well, a very _sexual _guy." Mizuki said before slurping her noodles.

"Yeah, I do too." Akemi added.

"You two are no help." Sakura pouted before flopping down on the floor.

"Now, now." Akemi soothed. "It's not like he's ugly or anything. At least you've got a good-looking guy chasing after you."

"True, true." Sakura mumbled.

"_I've _got a story to tell." Mizuki offered in an attempt to ease the tension.

"Really what is it Taiyou-chan." Sakura said, going for the bait but completely uninterested.

"That pale emo guy took my measurements for a 'uniform' today."

"He took mine, too." Akemi said. "Apparently we're not supposed to wear our school clothes around here anymore."

"That's odd." Sakura said. "Oh! I just remembered- Aizen's gonna let me attack him with my badass new sword tomorrow."

"Why?" Akemi asked. "Does that man value his life at all?"

"Puh-lease," Mizuki said, "she's never even held a sword in her _life_ before. She won't stand a chance."

"_**Quiet, you**_." Sakura said darkly. "And he said it was because _somebody _needed to teach me how. Guess he just wants to see me try to hack him to bits."

"Guess so." Akemi said. "But who knows? Maybe you'll have a knack for it."

"Yeah. Maybe." Sakura turned to Mizuki. "Ne, Taiyou-chan. Share the damn noodles."

"No way. Get your own." the other girl said, defensively holding the bowl close to her body and snapping her chopsticks together at her friend.

"Like hell I will. Just share, dammit."

"I said no!"

"You damn pest!" Sakura teased, lunging across the room for the food.

* * *

"Gin."

Ichimaru could practically hear the smirk in his leader's voice.

"What is it, Aizen-sama?"

"You've taken a liking to the oldest of our three guests, yes?"

Gin stared through half-closed eyes at Aizen, then responded. "I guess so, ya. She's funner than you."

Aizen spun around in his chair to face the fox-faced man.

"You have my permission to take her."

"Huh?"

"You heard me." A sick smile twisted its way across Aizen's face. "I plan on taking Sakura-chan very soon. And I thought that if you wanted either of the other two, you should know that you can have them."

"Uh, thanks?"

Aizen's smirk disappeared. "What's the matter, Gin? Haven't you been feeling lonely after leaving your precious Rangiku?"

Gin's normal smirk faded a bit. "Is that why ya been spendin' so much time with Sakura-sama, Aizen-sama? Is that what ya really want from her? Just somebody to sleep with 'cause Momo-chan's not here?"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Aizen's face was calm, but his tone told Gin not to push the matter any further.

"No, Aizen-sama." he said flatly, turning on his heel and taking his leave.


	6. Let the Games Begin

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. To quote the great Kathy Griffin: "Don't sue me, I don't fin' have anything."

**Author's Note:** Okay, two things. The first is that I must ask for forgiveness of the horrible grammar mistakes and multiple typos in the previous chapter. Also, a quick warning: Though I saw it unnecessary to bring the rating up, there's quite a bit of lemony-ness in this chapter. So, be warned! And oh, before I forget: reviews would be great as well! Your feedback means so much! ...Okay, _now_ you can go enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Mizuki flopped back on her bed, her iPod blasting in her ears and Akemi long since asleep. She knew that Sakura was in the next room doing exactly the same thing, but Mizuki got this feeling that her friend would rather be left alone right now.

Mizuki closed her eyes and recalled the day Sakura had begun calling her 'Taiyou-chan'.

_"Ne, Mizuki-chan, what's your middle name?" Sakura had asked her all those years ago._

_"Taiyou." the blonde responded._

_"Taiyou? As in, 'Sunshine'?" Sakura asked, holding back a snort._

_"Yup." Mizuki said, returning to her lunch._

_"Well, is it okay if I call you 'Taiyou-chan' from now on?"_

_Mizuki met the girl's wide, innocent eyes. "Uhm, I guess?"_

_"Yay!" Sakura tossed her arms around her friend, clearly causing the other girl discomfort. "From now on, you'll be Taiyou-chan to me!" she'd chirped._

Narrow grey eyes opened to stare at the blank white ceiling. Where had that little girl gone?

* * *

Sakura sighed, trying to find sleep. No avail. But she knew, even if she did sleep, her dreams would involve either Aizen or Takahashi-sensei raping her. What was the point of sleeping anyway, if it was so terrifying?

Against her will, she found herself drifting off to sleep. She pulled the earbuds from her ears and turned off her iPod, closing her eyes to appease her tired body.

* * *

Aizen sat up in bed, sighing. _Again_.

It was that dream. _Again_. There had been moaning and biting and sweat involved. _Again_.

And then there had been Sakura, tangled in his sheets, screaming his name. _Again_.

Just like the night before. And the night before that. And the night before that.

_What is so great about that girl, anyway?_ he thought angrily.

_She's beautiful. She's smart. She's got attitude. She's not afraid to speak her mind._ a voice in the back of his head replied.

Aizen flopped back against the pillows. Would his mind never _stop_ until he actually had her there, in his bed?

He drifted back to sleep, hearing Sakura's moan in his mind. _Again_.

* * *

"Sakura-chan. Wake up."

She recognized the voice, but rather than coming towards it, she pulled the covers over her head.

"Sakura-chan."

"_**What?**_" she grumbled.

"_Get up_." Aizen pulled the blankets away from her, but she smacked his hand away and yanked them back up, tucking the thick blanket under her chin.

"_**Go away.**_" she snapped before turning away from him.

He sighed, then grabbed her small form out of the bed, holding her gently in his arms. She yelped in surprise.

"What are you _**doing**_?!"

"Are you awake now?"

She ignored the smirk. "Yes," she muttered.

"Okay. Get dressed and meet me outside. Five minutes." he said, still not letting her go.

"You have to put me down in order for me to do that." she said, glaring up at him.

He set her gently on her feet, kissing her hair before leaving, causing her to bristle slightly.

She glared at the door after he left, then dressed. Entering the bathroom, she splashed cold water on her face before pulling her hair into a ponytail atop her head. She took up her sword and, sliding it into place on her right hip, left her room.

* * *

"_Dammit_!" Sakura yelled as Aizen's pratice sword smacked her again. She twisted around and leapt into the air, lunging at him, but was met with the floor against the bamboo sword as she felt a sudden pain across her back.

"_Shit_!" she cried out, her back stinging.

The sword tapped her shoulder gently.

"_Fu_-!"

"Watch your language." Aizen said sharply, his lips at her ear.

"What can I say?" she teased, spinning around and hitting his muscular shoulder as hard as she could, "... I'm childish and I hate losing." she said with an evil smirk as he rubbed his arm.

"...That hurt."

"It was supposed to." she said with a wicked grin, striking him again.

"_Damn_!" she heard.

"And what's this about _me _watching_ my_ language, huh?"

"...That's enough for today."

"_What_?!" Sakura yelled in disappointment, tossing the practice sword on the floor.

Aizen merely glared at her as he continued to rub his shoulder.

"Oh, _I _get it." she said, smirking. "You're just pissed off 'cause I hit you and it actually hurt."

"Yes. Yes, I am." he said smoothly, rising to his full height and walking closer to her.

"Well," she said, helping close the distance between them, "now I know where I can hit you if you try to come on to me again, since that'll probably bruise."

"Oh really?" he asked teasingly, a lecherous grin on his face as he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her up against him, trapping her small frame against his large body. "Is that a challenge?"

"It _was_..." she muttered, realizing that she could hardly move her arms.

"Then I accept your challenge, Sakura-chan." he whispered huskily, the desire in his voice sending chills down her spine.

As he leaned in to kiss her, beginning to close his eyes, she wondered fleetingly what would happen if she just gave in and slept with him. After all, he'd already 'claimed' her, it wasn't like she really had a choice in the matter... knowing him, if she didn't consent, he'd probably rape her later...

As blood boiled in her cheeks, she found her eyes closing and her arms wrapping around his neck, hands twisting into his hair as his lips met hers. He smirked through the kiss, pleased with her response. She could be so submissive, if he did it the right way.

"Sakura-chan," he whispered, pulling away only to move his lips to her ear. "Why don't we go someplace a bit more... _private_...?" he suggested, playing with the ends of her hair.

He felt her pulse speed up steadily as he trailed his lips along her jawline, down her neck and stopping at her collarbone.

"You're serious?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

He smiled, placing his lips directly over her heart, which was pounding erractically against her ribcage.

"Quite serious." he murmured, his lips moving against her skin as he spoke.

Speechless, she nodded.

He stood and smilied victoriously, then picked her up, carrying her bridal style into his room.

"_Uh_..." she muttered, blushing.

"Yes?" he asked, proceeding to lay her gently across the bed.

"_**Yeah**_..." she said, her blush deepening.

"Oh." he realized, smirking knowlingly. "You're a-"

"Pretty much."

His smile widened as he gently took the elastic from her hair. "Don't worry," he whispered gently, twisting one hand into her thick, dark hair, "I won't hurt you."

"... Okay..."

* * *

Gin merely sighed as a moan that sounded more like a scream from the next room seeped through the wall. _And here I thought these walls were thicker'n that..._ he thought, rising as he heard Sakura scream again.

_Man, Aizen-sama must be bein' awful rough on her... poor thing..._

Leaving the room, he began to wander the halls as Aizen's words flashed through his mind.

**...You can take either of the other two.**

Gin leaned up against the wall with another sigh. _Ya, I like Akemi-chan alot, but... I dunno. I'd rather be something more to her... and I dun just wanna take everything she's got. That's Aizen._

He began to walk again, stopping when he heard noise.

"I'm telling you, _she wasn't there when I got up_!"

"Didn't she say something about Aizen teaching her to use a sword today?"

"... I don't like the sound of that..."

"_I'm gonna kill him_!"

The two girls turned the corner to almost run Gin down.

"Ladies. What's the matter?" he asked. "And I must say, you two look _great_ in your new uniforms." Mizuki's was long-sleeved, with a wide neck and pieces of black fabric winding around the top, almost like suspenders. Akemi's had a long overcoat which buttoned right beneath her chest over a tank top that laced up the back. Both girls seemed to be enjoying the long, fluffy pants.

"Thanks very much for the compliment, but we have bigger fish to fry." Mizuki said sharply.

"Yeah." Akemi added. "Ichimaru-sama, have you seen Sakura anywhere?"

Ichimaru's usual grin widened a bit. "I wouldn't go looking for Sakura-sama right now. Aizen-sama wouldn't be happy with you two."

Akemi and Mizuki exchanged a look.

"He's not...?"

"I believe he is. The walls here are thinner than they look."

Mizuki promptly smacked herself in the forehead. "My God, that girl is a sucker for dark eyes."

"Yeah." Akemi agreed. "He probly didn't have to say much to get her into bed with him."

Mizuki crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "Nothin' we can do about it now." she stated, leaning against the wall.

"Guess you're right... there'll always be time to ask her about it later..."

* * *

Hours later, Sakura inhaled sharply, attempting to return her heart to regular pace.

"Something wrong, my dear?" Aizen asked, drawing her small frame closer to him.

"No," she muttered, smiling and snuggling closer to him.

"See?" he said, burying his face in her hair, "I'm not so bad, am I?"

Sakura sighed. "No, you're not. Not when you're not being our favorite evil overlord."

He kissed her cheek. "That made absolutely no sense at all." he muttered, now running his lips along her neck.

"I know. That was the point." She smiled.

"Sakura?"

"Yeah?" The smile faded.

He met her eyes. "Sakura. I think that I may be falling in love with you."

She smiled again. "That's nice to hear," she replied, pulling his face close to hers, "because _I_ think I'm falling in love with you."

He smirked. "Amazing." he muttered as she kissed him.

* * *

Several hours later, Sakura skipped down the hall back to her room, her hands over her heart, humming "Honey, Honey," from the musical, "Mamma Mia!". She twirled on one foot before entering her room- to find Akemi and Mizuki waiting for her.

"So?" Akemi asked.

"So what?"

"Why have you been gone for almost _five hours_, Sakura?" Mizuki questioned.

"I don't answer to you, Taiyou-chan." Sakura snapped, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"What's_** that**_?!" Akemi cried out in surprise, pointing to the huge bite mark just below Sakura's collarbone.

"What does it look like?" she asked, covering it with a cold hand.

"Don't tell me that you... and _Aizen_... _**ew!**_" Akemi cried out, disgusted.

"What's wrong with that?" Sakura asked defensively.

"So you did. Do that. With him." Mizuki stated.

"Good job, Taiyou-chan!" Sakura chirped, flopping down on her bed.

Mizuki smacked herself in the forehead. Akemi groaned and put her head in her hand.

"How was it?" Mizuki asked.

"... You _really_ want to know?" Sakura replied with a devilish smirk.

"It was that great?"

"_**Yup**_."

"Could we stop talking about this?!" Akemi cried out suddenly.

"Why so shy, Akemi? _You_ should be the one telling us, you _are_ two whole years older than us, after all."

"I just don't particularly want to know about you... doing_** that**_... with _**Aizen**_!"

"Again, I ask: is there something wrong with that?" A sudden spark came in to Sakura's eyes. "Oh,_ I_ get it. You're jealous!"

"Ew. _Aizen?_ _**No way!**_" Akemi and Mizuki said together.

"So then, who would _you_ do?" Sakura asked, genuinely curious.

"Hm..." Akemi began.

"If I _had_ to pick, it'd be the emo kid." Mizuki said bluntly.

"Why?" Akemi and Sakura asked together.

"Because." Mizuki chuckled. "... I wonder if I could make him sweat. Then that stupid makeup would come right off."

"Taiyou-chan!" Sakura yelled, hitting her friend in the face with a pillow. "And you said _I _was weird?"

"Who would _you_ do, Akemi-san?" Mizuki asked, ignoring Sakura's comments.

"Now that I think on it... the only one of these people I actually know is... Ichimaru-sama."

Sakura made a disgusted face. "**_Ew_**." she and Mizuki said together.

"Well." Sakura said. "Guess we've all got different tastes in guys."

"You're tellin' me." Akemi said, giggling.

* * *

"Gin. I made the most _incredible_ discovery today." Aizen smirked.

"What's that?" Gin asked, not really caring.

"... I don't think that Sakura's an actual Arrancar."

"How d'you know?"

"I noticed to day that no where on her body is a hole where her heart used to be, as the rest of the Arrancar have." Aizen remarked.

"Think she's a Vizard?" Gin asked.

"I think she may very well be. Also, for a beginner, she's got quite a knack for kendo." the dark-haired man responded, rubbing his shoulder where a sword-shaped bruise had formed.

"Huh. Wonder if the other two will come out like that..."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Gin." A sick smile twisted across Aizen's face. "I need you to talk Akemi-san into letting us tranform her as well."

Gin's scarlet eyes actually opened a bit. "What?" he asked.

"You heard me. It's very important to the infiltration of Soul Society, Gin, if we have a secret weapon of some sort. Who knows? Maybe Sakura isn't a Vizard, but something stronger..."


	7. Bubbly

**Disclaimer:**Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. And Bleach owns me. HOWEVER! Tanaka Akemi, Nakamura Mizuki and Suzuki Sakura are MINE! xD

**Author's Note:** ...Quicker than the one in the previous chapter, I swear! Just a random note: Although the end of this chapter has a sense of finality to it, _it is not the final chapter._ There is still more to come! Also, reviews would be greatly appreciated.

* * *

Akemi skipped down the halls of Las Noches, bored out of her mind and singing, "You Can't Stop the Beat" from the musical "Hairspray" under her breath.

Ichimaru Gin turned the corner, causing the girl to almost run into him.

"I-ichimaru-sama!" she stammered, stepping back. "I'm so sorry!"

"Eh, no need, Akemi-chan." he said politely. "Ne, can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure?"

He led the way to his room, flopping on the bed while she made herself comfortable on the couch.

"What's the matter, Ichimaru-sama?"

"...As much as I hate to ask this of you, Akemi-chan, Aizen-sama told me to, so I can't just ignore it, ya?"

Akemi smiled sympathetically. "Of course. Ask away." she said understandingly.

"See, Sakura-chan... she didn't exactly... turn out the way Aizen-sama thought she would."

Akemi's brown eyes narrowed. "So what, then?"

"He wants to know if you'd let us use Hougyoku... to see if another human would come out the same way."

Akemi rose. "Absolutely not! I only came here for Sakura, I don't intend on giving my life away!" she yelled.

"Well, Akemi-chan, you're kind of stuck." he said sadly. "Ya see, you already promised Aizen-sama that you'd do anything he asked if he'd let you see Sakura-sama... and he's let you practically live with her for almost a week..."

God, had it already been a week since they'd come here? Their families must be terrifyed by now.

"... I guess I will... since I made a promise, after all..."

Gin hopped off the bed and patted her shoulder.

"Okay." he said. "I'll tell Aizen-sama. He'll most likely want to do it first thing tomorrow morning. Are you okay with that?"

Akemi nodded. "I guess so..." She sighed. _At least now I know that Sakura will never leave me..._

* * *

Sakura cringed as she listened to her friend scream. Aizen tightened his hold on her.

"Do I really have to sit here and watch this...?" she whispered.

"Do you really want the first face your friend sees in her stronger state to be mine?" he asked. "Don't you want her to know that you were with her through the pain?"

Sakura nodded, leaning her head on his chest with tear-filled eyes watching her friend. Aizen chuckled.

"Would you look at that."

"What?"

"It looks _exactly_like your transformation." He smirked down at her. "Thank you, Sakura. Without you, my dear, I never would have discovered the perfect weapon."

She stared angrily up at him. "Is that all I am to you?! A_ weapon_?!"

He brushed the hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead. "No, of course not, love. I was merely stating the facts."

Sakura sighed as a pink-red light enveloped her friend.

"Akemi...?"

Akemi stepped forward. The tips of her bangs hit the middle of her neck, her hair pulled back into two ponytails. A Hollow mask covered the left side of her face.

"Akemi?!"

The older girl tore the mask from her face and sighed.

"Man, that was_** weird**_."

"Akemi!" Sakura dashed forward to hug her friend.

"Hey there." Akemi said, patting her friend's hair.

Gin smiled, relieved. Akemi-chan was as she always had been.

* * *

"Eh, Ichimaru-sama? What's with all this?" Akemi gestured to the table on Gin's balcony, a white tablecloth over the small bistro table with a bud vase containing a single red rose placed in the center of the table.

"Dunno." Ichimaru shrugged. "Jus' felt like doin' somethin' nice for ya, Akemi-chan." he said, pulling the chair out for her.

"Well, then, thank you, Ichimaru-sama." Akemi said politely as she sat, her stomach full of butterflies. In all honesty- she loved how much fun Ichimaru was. He was funny. He was nice to her. He had more feelings than Sakura's favorite evil overlord.

In other words, Gin was a keeper. He was the polar opposite of the kind of guy Sakura usually liked.

"Please, Akemi-chan," Ichimaru jerked her out of her thoughts. "Call me Gin, would ya? I dun really like how formal everyone is 'round here."

Akemi laughed softly. "Okay, Gin." she said, smirking. "Thank you very much for the lovely dinner. Although, if I recall..." she leaned across the table, "... this is _exactly_how Aizen-sama came on to Sakura."

"Whaddya mean, Akemi-chan?"

She giggled again. "You thought I wouldn't notice? The flowers, dinner, _alone_. The sheer intimacy of it." Her eyes narrowed. "Gin. If all you want from me is sex, you can forget it."

Gin cocked his head. "Huh?"

Akemi shrugged. "Whatever. So, what're you giving me for dinner?"

* * *

A few hours later, Sakura sat curled up on the couch with a well-worn paperback New Testament in her lap, and her iPod blaring in her ears.

Akemi threw the door open, pulling Sakura from her thoughts. She marked her place, turned her beloved iPod off, and turned to her friend.

"Okay, I'll bite... _What is it, Akemi_?" the younger girl asked playfully.

"_**Eyaa!**_" Akemi squealed, closing the door.

"What's up?" Sakura asked, genuinely curious now.

"_**Eyaa!**_" Akemi cried again, laying down on the couch with her head in Sakura's lap.

"You had dinner with Ichimaru, right?" Sakura asked.

"_How'd you know?!_"

"Sousuke told me."

"..." Akemi sat up to stare at her friend, small white circles for eyes and her mouth hanging open.

"What?"

"...You call Aizen by his _first name_?! When did _that_ happen?!"

Sakura stared back at her friend. "For someone... who is so much older and _seemingly_ more experienced than me... you should know when that happened, shouldn't you?"

"..._Oh_._** Yeah**_."

Sakura smiled. "Anyway. On with your story."

Akemi plopped her head back in Sakura's lap and began.

"So, I went out there, right, and he was just so polite, and funny, and he wasn't one of those people who's all like, 'I'm eating, don't bother me,' he was like, making fun of all the Espada and making me laugh and he was just so sweet..."

Akemi squealed again and grabbed Sakura's thigh. "_**I'm just so bubblyright now, Sakura!**_"

"_You're grabbing my leg in a **crazily**inappropriate way! Let me go!_"

"Sorry!" she cried, latching on to her friend's waist instead while Sakura patted her head. "I'm just so_** happy**_!"

Sakura chuckled. "I'm real glad for ya, Akemi. So..."

"So what?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Did he kiss you?"

Akemi smiled sheepishly. "_Maybe_..." The memory made her squeal once again, and she almost knocked the wind out of Sakura.

"I'm so _**bubbly**_ right now!"

"...I can _tell_..."

* * *

"Did you have a nice time with Akemi, Gin?" Aizen asked, resting his chin on his hand.

"Ya. It was nice, I guess."

Aizen smirked.

"Yer planning somethin', arencha?"

"You know me _so _well, Gin."

_

* * *

__"Akemi. I am going to have to tell you this like I told it to Taiyou-chan, and I want you to listen to me. Just because you go to different schools does not mean that you can't be friends!" Sakura said firmly, trying to reassure her friend that she'd still have her friends after her community theatre show ended. _

_"Akemi."_

_The older girl looked up._

_"It's the same principle as when you go to college in a year. Just because you'll be so far away... it doesn't mean that I won't still love you!" Sakura patted her friend's shoulder. "I'll always be your sister, Akemi. No matter what." _

_And then Akemi was sobbing into her friend's chest._

_"I don't wanna go to college!"_

_"I don't want you to go either." Sakura said, wrapping her arms around her friend. "But you have to. Life goes on before and after high school. So you don't have much time left- big deal! If you sit around moping about how soon it's gonna be over, you're not gonna enjoy it the way you should be. And then where'll that get you?" Sakura's voice was beginning to break. "And knowing you, you won't succeed in getting out of Japan. You might not even get out of Karakura Town. And even if, by some miracle of God, you do, then you'll still be just a phone call away. We can still talk, even though you'll be far away." Sakura finally started to cry. "But... don't worry about that now. Do what I'm doing, and save the tears for your graduation." Sakura chuckled. "I don't want to be the only one who's bawling like a little baby."_

Akemi's eyes snapped open. A dream, yes, but also a memory.

Sakura had given her that speech almost three weeks ago. Only now did Akemi realize the truth in her friend's words: Look at them. Now they were Arrancar... or something. But they were still sisters. And by the looks of the way things were going... they always would be.


	8. Religious Experience

**Disclaimer: **Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. All music belongs to the respective owners. The iPod belongs to Apple. And all these things own me.

**Author's Note:** Please, please forgive the religious references in this chapter if you're not a Christian, but God has given me such an awesome opportunity to honor Him with my writing that I had to do it! Anyway. Enjoy this chapter!

* * *

Mizuki walked the halls, her iPod blaring NEWS's song "weeeek". She sang along, though so quietly and quickly that no one could hear her or see her lips moving.

"Woman."

When Mizuki ignored him, Ulquiorra grabbed her shoulder, jerking her backwards.

"_Woman_."

"_**What?**_" Mizuki turned around, only to see him and remember her, Akemi and Sakura's quick round of "Who Would You Do?", and blushed slightly.

"Sakura-sama requests your presence." he stated, turning around.

"Hey, emo kid."

"My _name_, Woman, is Ulquiorra."

"Yeah, well, I have a name too, but you _never_ call me by that."

"_**Mizuki**_." he said softly, with such an odd look in his usually unfeeling green eyes that she looked away.

"Anyways. _Ulquiorra_." she began, turning again to stare him in the face. "When did Sakura-chan become a deity? Last time I checked, it wasn't, 'Father, Son, Holy Ghost, Aizen and Sakura'."

"You, woman, will address our Lord as 'Aizen-sama'," he snapped, "and your Sakura-sama is his new woman. So, that is your answer."

Mizuki sighed. "Whatever." She turned around to face him before heading in the direction of Sakura's room. "And just so you know, _**Ulquiorra**_," she said, putting extra emphasis on his name, "Sakura-chan would hate it if you people thought she was one of your deities. She's very religious, even though I don't get it."

* * *

"Taiyou-chan!" Sakura sang, tossing her arms around her friend.

"Ne, you do realize that those crazy Espada regard you as like, their God or something?"

"_**What**_?!"

"Or, you could put it Ulquiorra's terms and call you the 'girlfriend of God'." Mizuki said, smirking.

Sakura pouted slightly. "I'll have to ask Sousuke about it..."

"Ask me about what?" They heard Aizen purr from behind them.

Mizuki pointed slowly at him. "How long... has_ he_... been in _there_... with_ you_?!"

Sakura giggled. "Relax, Taiyou-chan. We were just having some tea."

"Yeah, right, like _hell _you were..."

Sakura picked up her tea and sipped it.

"Oh. Maybe you _were_..."

Sakura raised her eyebrows. "Mm-hm." she said.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about...?" Mizuki said, stepping in to the room.

"Mizuki-san," Aizen said, the sound of his voice making her skin crawl, "we were having a debate over whether or not to transform you-"

"And I thought you should be able to decide for yourself." Sakura finished.

Mizuki crossed her arms. "I have no interest in giving him-" she glared reproachfully at Aizen, "-my soul for this selfish, egotistical, lying, hypotrical bigot." she said firmly.

Sakura's mouth hung open slightly.

"You did not just call him a-"

"Do I need to call him that again?!"

"Mizuki-san. Do you enjoy having a warm bed to sleep in?"

Aizen's threat quieted her.

"Then we have an understanding. Although," he added, smirking, "I like your attitude."

"Say that again and I'll-"

"_**Taiyou-chan!**_"

The look in Sakura's eyes silenced her.

"Now, then." Aizen said smoothly. "Why don't we get down to business...?"

* * *

Mizuki stood alone in the desert, her fate decided.

In a two to one vote, she was remaining a human.

_That's a good thing... right? I should be happy... right? Although, if Sakura's religion is the right one, I'm going straight to hell in a handbasket..._ Mizuki turned her face towards the sky, closing her grey eyes and basking in the light of the moon.

_What kind of God would send someone straight to hell in a handbasket, anyway? Especially if He loves His people so much?_ she wondered angrily. _Why don't **I** get to be as well-off as other people? Why do **I **get sent straight to hell in a handbasket, just because I want a little proof here?!_

Mizuki-san.

Mizuki's eyes snapped open; she glanced around, nervous.

_What the fu-?!_

Watch your language. the voice cut her off, You do not honor Me when you speak such foul words.

Mizuki turned around again, angry.

"Just who in the hell do you think you are?!" she yelled aloud.

I am the Life, the Way, and the Truth. I am the God of Abraham, the God of the Jews, the God who created you and who your friends live to serve.

_No. WAY._

_Nakamura Mizuki, I am giving you a gift. Just as I have gifted Suzuki Sakura and Tanaka Akemi, you will honor me every time you use this gift._

A dark green light covered Mizuki's hands.

"What the... hell...?!" she cried out as an old, battle-worn katana appeared in her hands.

Use that sword. Use it well.

Mizuki stared up at the sky as she slid the sword through her sash, so that it rested against her left hip.

_Wait till I tell Sakura-chan about this one..._

* * *

Sakura's room was empty. Mizuki turned and walked out, leaving the door open, and sprinted down the hall.

_If she's with who I think she's with, I swear to God, I'm gonna kill him._

She burst through Aizen's door.

"Alright, I don't care what the hell you've got going on, but-!"

Sakura's battlecry cut her off. Mizuki turned towards the balcony to Aizen and Sakura, sparring with real swords this time.

"You're mine!" The tiny girl yelled as she lunged through the air.

Mizuki smiled and ran out on to the balcony.

"Taiyou-chan!" Sakura cried, sheathing her sword and running towards her friend.

"You're not gonna believe this," Mizuki said quickly, "but I think your God just spoke to me."

"What?! No way!" Sakura smirked victoriously. "And you're the one who said you were looking for some proof! D'you believe in Him _now_?!"

"I guess..." Mizuki grumbled.

"So? What did He say?!"

"Something about... giving me a gift or something..."

"Let's see it, then!" Sakura cried excitedly.

"Okay..." Mizuki closed her eyes and placed her hands straight out in front of her, right over left. A green light quickly appeared in the center of her left palm, and grew the harder she focused. Finally she released it, and a bolt of light struck the side of Aizen's balcony, causing part of the edge to crumble.

All stared at her.

"Taiyou-chan... that. Was. AMAZING!" Sakura yelled, throwing her arms around her friend.

"You're tellin' me..." the other girl replied, awestruck.

Aizen smirked.

* * *

"Gin."

"What'd you learn today, Aizen-sama?" Gin asked in a singsong voice.

"The Mizuki girl has some sort of power... it looks like a form of kidou, but the energy is completely different... it's much stronger... almost inhuman... to think that someone would be capable of that..."

"Gonna use Hougyoku anyway?"

Aizen sighed sadly. "Unfortunately, no. Mizuki-san objected, as well as Sakura."

Ulquiorra listened intently at the door. He was used to that; he'd just listened to Mizuki singing in the shower, grateful that Sakura was with Akemi. They would find it fairly odd that he had his ear pressed against the door, with their best friend naked on the other side.

The Fourth Espada stood. How odd they were... these feelings he harbored towards the blonde girl with the attitude...


	9. Joy Child

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. Not me. If I did, why on Earth would I be writing fanfictions? xD

**Author's Note:** I'm very sorry this chapter took so much longer than usual! -bows- I just had a very strong case of writer's block. But, here it is now!

* * *

Suzuki Sakura sighed, burying her face in the blankets. She'd already been awake for a long time, she just didn't feel like moving... she needed a little peace before her day began.

Aizen pulled her closer in his sleep. Sakura sighed again; was all this what she really wanted for herself?

* * *

Ichimaru Gin buried his face in Akemi's hair. She sighed, long since asleep. Gin reached over and brushed the hair for her face.

She looked so peaceful in sleep. All the pain and worry erased for her face while she dreamt peacefully; Gin smiled.

* * *

Nakamura Mizuki stared at the ceiling, playing soft music in an attempt to lull herself to sleep. She was not a stranger to insomnia, but being alone in the room for the first time in weeks was...

The only word she could pull up was "lonely". Nakamura Mizuki was lonely.

* * *

"Ha!" Sakura cried, swinging her blade around towards Akemi, who blocked just time. Shoving the other girl away from her, Akemi smirked.

"_Dammit!_" Sakura cursed, flash-stepping behind Akemi who, once again, blocked the very last minute.

"I gotta say, you're getting better, Sakura!" Akemi congratulated.

"Thanks," Sakura replied, "Your reflexes are improving quite a bit, Akemi!" She tried again, this time smacking Akemi's wrist with the flat side of the blade, causing her to drop her sword.

"Ouch!" Akemi cried, rubbing her wrist. "Didja really have to do that so hard?"

Sakura smirked. "_That's_ what she said."

The two girls burst into laughter. Aizen shook his head, wondering fleetingly who "she" was.

"So." Akemi began as they took a water break.

"Yeah?"

"Have you talked to your sword yet?" Akemi asked, patting her own sword, a pretty, delicate katana, with pink cloth wrapped around the hilt.

"Uhm, yeah." Sakura said, blushing.

Now Aizen began to pay attention.

"Really?!" Akemi exclaimed, excited. "That's so cool! What's its name?!"

"Uhm... it hasn't said." Sakura explained sheepishly. "It says it's name, but I can never catch it."

"Weird..." Akemi said, tossing an arm around her friend's shoulders.

"You're tellin' me." Sakura said, removing the sword from the sheath, letting the blade catch the light. "It's weird though... I just heard a woman's voice in my head, saying, "Come to my world, in the depths of your mind," and weird stuff like that. But I haven't acutally seen her yet."

"I know you will very soon." Akemi chirped. "Okay, now. Let's see just how good you are with that thing!" she said, drawing her blade.

Sakura smirked. "You're on!"

* * *

"Captains of the Gotei 13!" Yamamoto-soutaichou yelled authoratively, trying his best to get the other captains to calm down.

"What the hell?! Is this your idea of a joke?!" Hitsugaya-taichou cried out.

"Yeah, really. What's goin' on here, anyways?" Kyoraku-taichou pondered aloud.

Unohana-taichou merely sighed.

"_**Quiet!**_" the old man yelled. Everyone silenced, fearing the look in his eyes.

"Now, then," he began, somewhat more composed. "We can not deny now that Aizen is on the move. Considering that we have no idea when he will decide to attack, we can not afford to have any shinigami below the level of a tenth-seat officer. Squad 4, you should have no one below a fifth-seat. Does everyone understand?"

The captains all nodded gravely.

"Very well. Let us declare all-out war against these Arrancar!"

_

* * *

__Sakura stood, all alone, in what appeared to be a forest. Snowing was falling and already covered the ground. She began to walk, for some reason not feeling the cold at all, until she reached a clearing in the trees. A massive white tree stood at the far corner, a pond with dark, black water in front of it. A woman sat, eyes closed, towards the top of the tree. Sakura took a step towards it._

_"Uhm... hello?" she called to the woman. "'Scuse me... could you tell me where exactly I am...?"_

_The woman turned to her and opened one eye. Sakura stepped back- she had never before seen such brilliant blue eyes. _

_The woman then gracefully leapt down from her place. She wore a twelve-layer ceremonial robe, each layer a different shade of blue. She had long bangs hanging down into her face, and the front of her hair cascaded about an inch below her shoulders. From what Sakura could see, the back of the woman's blue-white hair fell almost to the backs of her knees. The woman opened her brilliant eyes and stared Sakura in the face._

_"You, of all people, should know where you are, My Lady." she said, her voice the most beautiful sound Sakura had ever heard._

_"Huh? No, honestly, I don't." Sakura replied. "Just who are you, anyway?"_

_"You know good and well who I am, Sakura-sama." _

_"Etsuko," Sakura whispered in disbelief._

_Etsuko smiled. "So, you finally figured it out." she said._

_Sakura bowed, her hair brushing against the snow. "It's an honor to meet you, Etsuko-sama!" she cried out._

_Etsuko bowed in return. "There is no need for your formalities. The only reason I exsist is for you, and I am merely a reflection of your soul."_

_Sakura stared. _There's no way my soul could be that beautiful,_ she thought, not believing the sword-woman._

_Etsuko smiled again. "Your soul is, truly, this beautiful, Sakura. Believe me, for I am a reflection of who are you on the inside." The blade-woman put a pale hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Now, do you still not know where you are, My Lady?"_

_Sakura shook her head. Snowflakes were beginning to collect in her dark hair. _

_"This world is my world. It exsists deep within your mind. Like me, not only does it reflect your true self, but it also holds true beauty for you, does it not?"_

_Sakura nodded as Etsuko led her to the edge of the pond. _

_"Look into the water, Sakura." Etsuko instructed. Sakura stared her reflection in the face. "While there is your beauty and your purity reflected in this world, you also have darkness inside of you..."_

_Sakura's reflection suddenly paled, her dark hair fading to a light beige, her skin almost as white as her uniform; the whites of her eyes became black as the irises faded to a deep gold. Huge black wings sprouted from her back as a Hollow mask formed over the left side of her face. Where Sakura's clothes were white, the reflection's were black; were Sakura's were black, the reflection's were white. _

_"Tha... that's _not _me..." Sakura murmured as the reflection suddenly stepped out of the water._

_"**Hey, your Majesty.**" the Hollow said with a wicked grin. "**So, you rule over this world, do ya? Didja even know 'bout me? I've been tryin' to get yer attention nonstop, ya damn pest.**"_

_Sakura took a step back. "Wha... Etsuko, what is this?!"_

_"It is exactly what I have told you. The darkness within you... your inner Hollow."_

_"**Yeah, thanks fer the introduction, Estuko.**" the Hollow said, approaching Sakura. "**Now listen up, ya little retard,**" the Hollow began roughly, "**You may own this world, but if you die, I die. So, if ya ever find yerself in a position where yer life is in danger, just call on me. Estuko'll show ya her bankai er whatever, and then I'll take over from there.**"_

_Sakura merely gulped and nodded. _

_"Now, Sakura, we need to return you to your own world now," Etsuko said, placing her hand on Sakura's forehead, "but you may return here any time you like."_

_Sakura's image faded._

_"**Ne, Etsuko.**" the Hollow said, her back to the sword. _

_"Yes?"_

_"**Make sure ya take good care o' that. 'Cause ya know... if we let her transform enough times...**"_

_"I am aware of that. I know that each time Sakura allows you to take over, she loses some of herself. I am aware that if she does it enough-"_

_"**Then all that power... will be mine.**" the Hollow turned to face the sword, grinning wickedly, lust for power in her eyes. "**See ya around, Etsuko.**" she said before walking into the black water._

Sakura's eyes snapped open. She had been so tired after how hard she'd trained with Akemi, she'd passed out on her couch.

She stood up and adjusted her uniform. Her big green eyes strayed to the sword resting in the corner of the room.

"Etsuko...?"

The sword clattered in the sheath.

* * *

"Gin."

"What have ya discovered teday, Aizen-sama?" Gin asked apatheically.

"My sources tell me that the shinigami have declared all out war on us." he smirked, turning his chair around to face Ichimaru.

"So that means we're gonna attack 'em here pretty soon...?"

"You're getting good, Gin. And yes, we will teach those shinigami what you get for declaring all-out war on us..."


	10. Keep Going, Akemi

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. Facebook and Facebook Chat belongs to the respective owners. I own nothing, aside from the plot of this story.

* * *

Two months had passed since Suzuki Sakura had first spoken to Etsuko.

_Boy, alot's changed_, she thought, sheathing her sword after another hour and a half-long training session. Sakura, Akemi and Mizuki would take turns sparring with each other, while Aizen watched and told them how to improve even more. Sakura had just cut through one of Mizuki's best spells, only going in to her sword's first release.

She smirked at Aizen.

"And _you_ said I hadn't been trying enough." she said.

He returned the smirk. "I guess I was wrong."

"Le _gasp_!" Akemi cried out sarcastically. "Could it be that the great and powerful Aizen-sama was _wrong_?"

Aizen glared at her. Sakura placed her cold hands on his shoulders.

"Easy, Sousuke. Sarcasm. Ya want some for Christmas?" she asked, trying to lighten the mood as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

He stared down at her, chocolate colliding with emerald as their eyes met.

"You _know _what I want for Christmas." he said seductively.

"Yeah, yeah, the same thing you want _all the time_... ya know, after awhile that gets kind of _old_, Sousuke! Maybe I'd like to do _other_ things sometimes!" She waved a hand dismissively as Akemi and Mizuki cringed in disgust.

"So... _anyways_..." Mizuki interrupted, blushing.

"Moving on..." Akemi said, her face on fire as well.

"Oh, right." Sakura turned her face back to her friends and rested her head on Aizen's chest. "... Oh, dammit, I forgot!"

Everyone looked in opposite directions as Sakura pressed a finger to her bottom lip, trying to remember what she had been going to say.

"Uhm, hey, you guys hungry?" Akemi asked quickly. "Ya know, I'd _really_ like some popcorn..."

"We just had some last night!" Sakura cried out. "I'm gonna run out of popcorn at this rate!"

"What can I say? I've been having a real popcorn craze lately." Akemi said sheepishly.

Aizen shook his head. "You ladies eat some crazy things sometimes..."

"You're tellin' me." Sakura said. "Ne, Akemi, d'you remember that one time that we made watermelon smoothies at like, midnight because there was nothing else in the fridge, and then we didn't want chocolate, so we made popcorn at two A.M.?"

"... That wasn't me, Sakura." Akemi said gently. "That was you and Sayuri."

Aizen didn't miss the tears that sprang into Sakura's eyes. He kissed her forehead as she shut her eyes and turned closer to him, trying to make the tears go away.

"Was it?" she murmured into Aizen's coat, "I thought that was you and me. Sounds like somethin' we would do..."

Aizen patted her hair, trying to comfort her. "So... do you women think that you could fight a shinigami?" he asked.

Sakura nodded once against his chest. Akemi followed suit; Mizuki remained expressionless.

Aizen smirked. "Good." he said. "Because we've decided we'll infiltrate Soul Society tomorrow."

Sakura stared up at him, her big green eyes wide. Akemi gave a small gasp; Mizuki's grey eyes narrowed slightly.

"Are you _serious_?" Sakura asked him.

"Yes." he replied.

"... _**Cool!**_" Sakura cried suddenly, clapping her hands together- or at least trying to, as Aizen was holding her so tightly.

The other three sweatdropped and stared reproachfully at Sakura.

"..._Yeah_... _ah_... _**about that**_..." Akemi said.

"You do realize you're going to have to _kill_ people over there...?" Mizuki asked.

Sakura squealed in delight again. "Yeah, I know! Isn't it _awesome_?!"

"Slightly bloodlustful today, are we...?" Aizen asked, kissing her forehead.

"Maybe. I think I'm just feelin' kinda sadistic, though. I get that way sometimes." Sakura smirked.

"Oh, really?" Aizen raised an eyebrow. "Well, then maybe I could-"

"Oh-_**kay**_, that's enough of that!" Akemi yelled, blushing profusely.

"Seriously." Mizuki crossed her arms after pushing her glasses up her face. "If you're gonna talk to her like _that_, go get a room or something. Not _all_ of us enjoy that sort of thing, ya know."

Sakura turned and smiled apologetically at her friends. "Sorry, you guys."

"No worries." Mizuki said, waving a hand dimissively. "We were just leaving."

"We were?" Akemi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we were. Now, c'mon, dammit." the younger girl said, pushing Akemi from the room.

"Are you really _that_ exicted for a battle?" Aizen asked, causing her to turn her attention from the door after her friends left.

"I guess so..." she replied.

"Even though you may not make it out of there...?"

Sakura stared up at him, her rage apparent in her eyes.

"What, do you not think I can do it or something?!" she asked angrily.

"I just don't want anything to happen to you," he whispered.

"Whoa, there. What's with the sudden OOC-ness?"

"It's true, though." There was such a sadness in his eyes that Sakura had to look away.

"Okay, fine. I will believe that you, in all your badass awesomeness, would fall for someone like _me_." She reached up, smirking, to kiss him.

"Don't think so lowly of yourself, my dear," he said quickly before helping her close the gap between his lips and hers.

* * *

Akemi and Mizuki stood outside Aizen's door, having been lead there by Ulquiorra, who knocked.

Sakura opened up the massive door.

"Hey, you guys." she said, smiling. "Come on in. Want some tea? I was about to make some... Lord knows Sousuke has enough..."

Akemi and Mizuki exchanged a look before entering. They stood in a sitting room, where a small, pretty coffee table surrounded by a massive couch and two chairs sat atop a beautiful Asian rug.

"Is this _it_...?" Akemi asked, looking around and silently admiring the crown moulding around the ceilings.

"Keep going, Akemi." Sakura said before disappearing through a doorway.

They now entered a large kitchen. Sakura stood at the stove, putting some water in a kettle to make the tea. Glancing around, they could see double ovens, a massive sink and stove, and a large bar/island directly across from the stove.

"I didn't know Aizen liked to cook..." Akemi murmured.

Sakura smirked. "Keep going, Akemi." she said, smirking, before leading them through yet another doorway.

This time they entered a bathroom that was roughly the size of Sakura's bedroom, with a huge bathtub that could've at least held twenty people comfortably, and a shower that may have held ten. A black chandelier hung from the ceiling, dimly lighting the beautiful tiles on the floor. In front of them was a mirror that stretched across the entire wall, and a vanity with two huge sinks- and they could see Sakura's makeup remover, makeup bag, hair products and the like spread out around one of them.

"_**Wow**_..." Akemi breathed.

"_Keep going, Akemi_..." Sakura said, her smile widening.

Now the group entered the bedroom. A huge bed with a red and gold comforter across it sat in the corner; it could have easily held about fifteen people. Another rug adorned the floor, and curtains that matched the comforter framed a sliding glass door that led out to the massive balcony. A big white couch sat in the corner, with another small table in front of it.

"Holy freaking crap..." Akemi said under her breath.

Sakura led the other girls through another door.

"_Keep going, Akemi_." she said, her body and voice shaking with controlled laughter.

And then they stood inside Aizen's closet, which was at least the size of Akemi and Mizuki's shared room; white clothes hung everywhere. They then noticed that their entire left side held all of Sakura's things as well. Akemi and Mizuki quickly exchanged a look.

"So..." Sakura said, turning on her heel to face her friends, "What do you think?" she asked.

"I'd like to know _when _you moved in with Aizen." Mizuki said quickly.

"Oh, that?" Sakura said, her cheeks turning slightly pink. "That's been a slow process over the last month. Acutally, I've only been sleeping in here for about a weeks. I still have my room when I need a little privacy, of course."

"How can you need _privacy_? This room... if you can still call it that... is pretty much a frigging house!" Akemi said.

Sakura smiled brightly, leading them out of the closet and flopping down on the bed. "I know." she chirped. "Isn't it great?"

Akemi sat quietly on the couch. "Uhm... yeah... it kind of is..."

The tea kettle whistled in the kitchen.

"Aw,_ crap_!" Sakura yelled, jumping up and sprinting back towards the kitchen.

"So." Mizuki said after Sakura was out of earshot.

"So what?"

"Did _you_ know that she had moved in with him?"

"Well, I knew it was getting serious... but I had no idea that it was to this extent..."

Sakura returned with three cups in her hands.

"I'm not sure how strong you guys like your tea..." she said apologetically, giving a cup to each of her friends before perching herself on the edge of the table, "but I did my best."

Mizuki raised her glass. "I'm sure you did fine."

"Thanks, Taiyou-chan." Sakura said before draining half her cup. She sighed.

"So... you're really exicted about killing people tomorrow...?" Akemi asked, raising her cup to her lips.

"Oh, _hell_ yeah." Sakura said, brightening.

Akemi sweatdropped. "... Sometimes you scare me, Sakura..."

Sakura smiled brightly.

"I know. I scare lots of people sometimes."

Akemi and Mizuki noticed Aizen enter, but decided not to tell Sakura.

"What's wrong, you guys?" She asked, noticing that her friends were shaking, they were trying so hard not to laugh.

"Seriously, what- _**EEP!**_" Sakura cried out, sounding alot like her dog getting stepped on, as Aizen's warm arms unexpectedly encirled her waist.

"That was odd," he said into her hair, "I certainly didn't expect _that_, of all the noises I _know _you can make."

"Oh-_**kay**_, then!" Akemi cried, turning scarlett as she drank as much of her tea as she was willing- Akemi had this strange phobia of drinking the last little bit of anything- and slammed the glass down. "Mizuki-san, we'd better go!"

"Huh?" Mizuki said, staring at the half a cup of tea she was still holding. "What the hell? I haven't even finsihed my tea yet!"

"Take it with you, Taiyou-chan." Sakura said brightly. "I'll come by and pick up the cup later."

"Okay..." Mizuki said as Akemi yanked her up from the couch and pulled her from the room by the arm.

As they hurridly dashed through the main door, Akemi slumped against the wall.

"Man, that was awkward!" she said, her face still scarlett.

"So he made an awkward comment. They _all_ will, Akemi." Mizuki said, sipping her tea again.

"Whatcha doin' out here, Akemi-chan?"

The two looked up to see Gin coming down the hallway. Akemi stood, brushing off her uniform as she rose.

"Hey, Gin. What's up?"

Ichimaru shrugged. "Jus' walking around. Ya wanna join me?" he asked.

"Uhm, sure." Akemi said, blushing again as she fell into step beside him.

Mizuki shook her head and headed back to her room.

* * *

"So, Akemi-chan..."

"What is it?"

"Well, I know how close you are to Sakura-sama..." he began, "and I wanted ta know what ya thought o' her bein' with Aizen-sama and all."

Akemi stared at the floor. "There's nothing to say _about_ it." she said darkly. "Her taste in guys has _always_ been kinda questionable... why any _sane_ person would even let Aizen come near them, I'll never know... but I've learned to just back her up, support her if she's happy and tell her when to stop when it's clearly no good for her."

Gin stared at this remarkable person. She was so loving... and she clearly hated seeing Sakura in pain...

Akemi gasped quite audibly and stared up when she felt Gin's hand on her shoulder, his face, for once, serious.

"That's good ta know. Sakura-sama mus' be lucky ta have a friend like you." he said, brushing her hair back from her shoulder.

Akemi smiled. "Thanks, but... you give me far too much credit. I'm not as great as you think I am." she said quietly, her long bangs falling over her face.

"Wrong again," Gin said, tucking one side of her overlong bangs behind her ear. "Ya don' give yerself enough credit, Akemi-chan." he told her gently, leaning his face close to hers.

"_Yeah_... _ah_..." She forgot what she had been going to say as he pressed his lips against hers.

"Akemi-chan," he murmured, pulling away and opening his eyes, "I can't lose ya tomorrow."

Ruby met chocolate as she stared back, speechless.

"See... I think I love ya, Akemi-chan..."

As he turned to go into his room, he wheeled around sharply when he felt her warm hand slip into his. Her smile was nothing but sunshine.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I don't really know if I can say the same... I've never really been in_ love_..." She lost her train of thought as he stepped closer and put his free hand on her face.

He kissed her again, more passionately this time, and felt her face light on fire beneath his hand.

She did not protest as he led her into his room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

"Hey! Sakura!" Akemi cried out, banging on the massive door. "Come out here! I gotta talk to you! _Right now!_"

"Geez, Akemi!" Sakura opened the heavy door, fastening the belt of a short, hot pink silk robe, with black trim. The collar was open just enough to tease at the skin around her chest. "Do you really need me right _now_? I was sort of in the middle of something..." she said, cocking her head in the direction of Aizen's room.

"...I'm gonna pretend that you didn't just say that..." Akemi said, her eyes turning to small white circles at the thought of what Sakura was implying. "But, it really can't wait. _Please_, _**please**_, Sakura? Aizen's gonna be there when I'm done talking!"

Sakura sighed and opened the door. "After you." she said, sounded more like she was sighing.

Akemi sat down on the couch, barely unable to contain her slightly fangirlish reaction.

"Will you calm down?" Sakura asked as she sat beside her friend. "Now, tell me what's up."

"_**Eyaa!**_" Akemi squealed, flailing her arms and legs.

"Oh, Lord, here we go..." Sakura said, preparing herself for a long story.

Akemi's happy expression dissolved when Aizen walked in, his dark blue silk robe very loosely tied to reveal a perfectly sculpted upper body.

"Well. Hello there, Akemi-san." he said, smiling. "Do you think maybe you could come back another time...?"

Akemi stared at him, speechless.

"Ne, Sousuke, go make us some tea, would you?" Sakura asked.

"But you just had some..." he replied, leaning against the back of couch and playing with her hair, which hung loose down her back.

"Yeah, but this looks like we may need some." she said. "Now," she said quietly after he'd gone into the kitchen, turning to Akemi, "what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Hee hee..." Akemi blushed and fiddled with her uniform. "Ya see..." she giggled again, "...Gin and I..."

Sakura smirked. "I _know_ that look...!" she said, clapping her hands together. "_You did the deed, didn't you?!_"

Akemi blushed a deeper shade of crimson. "Would you keep it _down_?!" she cried, glancing to the kitchen.

"Eh, don't worry about it. Chances are that Sousuke'll hear about it before the day is out." She waved a hand dimissively. "So..."

"So what?" Akemi didn't like the glint that had come in to Sakura's green eyes.

"Did you enjoy it...?"

"... Yeah... a little..." At the expression on Sakura's face, she stopped trying to hide it. "Okay, it was great!"

"Wait a sec. I heard a while back that you'd _spent the night_ with Ichimaru... was this _seriously_ the first time?" A hint of anger came in to Sakura's eyes at the thought of her friend not telling her way back then.

"What?!" Akemi cried out, blushing even more. "Oh, that? Geez, Sakura, your memory is like Facebook Chat History or something... anyway." She sighed and composed herself. "Well, see, we were up really late talking... he left for a second and I just sort of passed out. It was so late that he just let me sleep in there. But _nothing happened_. Not until last night, at least." Akemi shook with controlled fangirling.

Sakura smirked.

"What?"

"... I'm not the only one who has comprimised her morals since we came here!" she said, joy clear in her voice.

Akemi put a hand to her forehead. "Oh, wow..."

Aizen came back with the tea.

"Here you ladies go. Sakura... _I'll be waiting_..."

"Yeah, yeah, get outta here." Sakura replied, waving her hand as she raised her teacup to her lips. "Now, then... wanna give me the gory details?"

"Do I have a choice in the matter?" Akemi asked, gently blowing on her tea. _Why didn't I mention that I don't like hot drinks very much...?_

"Nope. But I thought I'd be politcally correct and ask first."

"Since when are _you_ politically correct?"

"Since I became a '-sama'. Now talk, dammit."

* * *

"So. Gin."

Ichimaru did not miss the all-knowing smirk in Aizen's voice, but decided to pretend he didn't.

"What is it, Aizen-sama."

"... I hear you took our dear Akemi-san today." He turned the chair around to smile at his subordinate.

"Yeah. Guess so."

"Why today, Gin?"

Gin seemed surprised by the question.

"Well, I thought... just in case sonethin' happened ta her tomorrow... ya know."

"Yes, Gin. I do."

* * *

Akemi, Mizuki and Sakura all sat on the countertops in Aizen's kitchen, each with a cup of tea in hand, and snack food being passed around.

Sakura smiled, popping another chocolate in her mouth. "I swear, chocolate is like, the Aizen Sousuke of all snack foods- it's just the best! You can't compare!"

Akemi and Mizuki exchanged a look.

"I'm not sure if it's the _Aizen _of all snack food... but I whole-heartedly agree that it's the best." Akemi said, stuff some more popcorn in to her mouth.

"Should we really being eating like this before a fight...?" Mizuki asked, picking at the bag of strawberry licorice.

"Lighten up, Taiyou-chan!" Sakura said, grabbing the bag away from her, "We just want to celebrate in case we don't all make it back..."

The three looked at each other.

"No matter what... you guys _will_ come back, right...?" Sakura asked, so quietly they almost missed it.

"Of course we will!" Akemi chirped.

"Yeah. You don't seriously think we'd let a bunch of shinigami kill us, do you?" Mizuki asked.

Sakura smiled. "No, I guess not."

"Let's drink to our soon-to-be victory!" Akemi yelled, raising her glass in the air.

"I'll drink to that!" Sakura cried in response.

Mizuki nodded before tapping her glass to theirs.

**

* * *

********Author's Note:** Just in case there was any confusion, (because I have some readers that aren't too familiar with the terms of fanfiction) here's a bit of clarification:

OOC-ness: Out Of Character-ness. Used here because Aizen was acting crazily out of character.

Okay, now, that aside... reviews would be _greatly_ appreciated! They get me motivated to write more chapters! Nothing makes me happier than knowing what you guys think of my work! xD


	11. Influence

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. Ohba Tsugumi-sensei owns Death Note. I merely own the plot of this pointless story and benefit only in a good time writing it.

* * *

"Sousuke?"

Even to Sakura, her voice sounded tiny. And, as late as it was, she felt silly. Trying to strike up conversation at this hour... he was probably asleep by now, anyway. She turned over, burying her face in the blanket.

"Yes...?"

Sakura turned back over.

"I'm sorry." She smiled apologetically. "Did I wake you up?"

"No. I was just surprised that you're still awake." He returned the smile. "So. Did you want to talk about something?"

"Sousuke... wouldn't you say it's a little... well, _dumb_ to send us into battle with only a day's notice? I mean, these things take planning, don't they?"

"Dumb?"

She looked away. "Well, yeah. I mean, we've never been in a _real_ fight before, not even a fist fight... Taiyou-chan had a bit of kendo training before this, but... other than that, we don't know what we're doing. If I were you, I would've talked about it with us first..."

Aizen kissed her forehead. "Are you not so exicted to fight anymore? Is that what this is really about?"

She smacked a bruise she'd given him in a training session the other day as hard as she could. The sound rang through the quiet room. "You don't really think I'm _that_ much of a coward, do you?" she asked darkly as he groaned in pain.

"No," he gasped.

"Okay, then." She smirked and kissed his cheek. "So we have an understanding, then."

He glared at her reproachfully, rubbing his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." she said sincerly. "I didn't mean to hurt you that much. I was just trying to make a point."

He wrapped his warm arms around her and pulled her close.

"Why are you always so cold, Sakura?" he asked, as she placed her icy hands on his chest.

"I'd rather not talk about it." she muttered. "I've been that way for a few years..."

He noticed her reiatsu spike in her rage and kissed her hair. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"'S okay." she said, snuggling closer. "Jus' lemme sleep now. I'm actually tired."

He smiled and tucked her head under his chin. "Whatever you say."

* * *

"So. Ladies."

Sakura, Akemi and Mizuki stared at Aizen.

"We're going to wait another week before the invasion on Soul Society. However, in that time, you three are going to train twice as hard, for twice as long. I need to see progress. I need to know that you can hold your own in a long fight." He closed his eyes and pressed a hand through his forehead. "Akemi-san, Sakura, go stretch and get warmed up. Mizuki-san, I need to talk to you."

Mizuki followed him through the door off the balcony, eyes wary as he shut the door.

"Mizuki-san."

"What?" she asked coldly.

"I need to know where your loyalties lie, Mizuki-san." Aizen's eyes darkened.

"My loyalties lie with Sakura. I don't support Soul Society, but I don't support _you_, either. I support Sakura and her decisions. They may not always be smart ones, but hey, she's my friend."

"So." Aizen said, trying to understand the situation, "I can be sure that you won't be turning against us in the fight?"

"Yes." Mizuki said firmly, "But I can't promise that I will kill any shinigami, either. I will _only_ attack if it is necessary to defend myself. I'm not siding with either of you lot on this. I am Switzerland."

Aizen sighed. "Very well, then. Go warm up or something."

Mizuki bowed politely and walked out, leaving Aizen to ponder. So. He had a crapload of Arrancar, ten Espada, two mixes between Arrancar and Vizards, and Switzerland. That was enough to teach the shinigami who they were dealing with, right?

Aizen sighed again. _Why should one doubt one's own abilities? We'll be fine. They're nothing, in the state I left them in._ he decided, opening the door.

"Okay. Akemi-san, Sakura, go. I want to see both of your first releases before we're through here." The two girls nodded while Mizuki stood nonchalantly against the wall.

* * *

Almost four hours later, Sakura stood in the shower, trying to scrub away the sweat. She and Akemi had gone at it for as hard and long as possible, and now her obsessive-compulsive nature was acting up.

She scrubbed at a small scratch on her right shoulder, wincing as the soap stung.

"You're going to use up all the hot water in this whole desert, Sakura."

Sakura sighed. "Shut up and go away, Sousuke."

"You're taking too long."

"_You're_ being as annoying as hell." She snapped, sweeping her wet bangs away from her face. "You're making this less enjoyable for me, dammit."

"That's what she said."

Sakura chuckled. "_Now_ we're cookin'." she said, leaning over to turn off the water.

* * *

Akemi stepped out of the bathroom wrapped in a towel, steam escaping the door.

"Shower's all yours, Mizuki." she said, toweling off her hair.

"Thanks," the blonde said, quickly stepping into the bathroom.

Akemi flopped down on her bed, grabbing a few hairties and proceeding to french braid her hair. She sighed, thanking God that Sakura had had the sense to buy some time. She knew full well why her sister had done that.

Sakura had wanted to have more time with her friends, in case one of them died in battle.

Heat behind her eyes made Akemi squeeze them shut. _No, don't think about that now_, she told herself. _Sakura **will not** die. Not out there, at least_.

In the shower, Mizuki realized that same thing. Of course Sakura would want more time with them before the fight; knowing her, she'd rush in without thinking and get killed.

Mizuki wiped the lukewarm water from her eyes, missing the shower at her house, and how you could never really control the temperature of the water. It helped remind her of how much time she was wasting.

She leaned forward to shut off the water, her blonde hair falling in her face.

An idea popped into her head.

She rumaged through the drawers of the vanity in the bathroom until she came across the scissors. Holding them and another towel, she went into the bedroom.

"Hey, Akemi. Want to help me cut my hair?"

* * *

All three girls now sat on Mizuki's bed, Akemi wiping hair off Mizuki's neck and shoulders while Sakura cut.

"_Hold still, dammit!_" she yelled. "I can't give you bangs if you keep moving!"

Mizuki sighed. "I don't like how closely you're moving those scissors to my face." she explained.

"Don't explain it to me, just shut the hell up and do something about it!"

"Uhm, PMS, much?" Akemi muttered, wiping a lock of blonde hair from Mizuki's chest.

"I _heard_ that!"

"Exactly."

"... What was that? I'll remind you of this conversation when I get to take scissors to _your_ hair."

"Which will _never_ happen."

"Uhm, you guys?"

"_**What?!**_" both girls snapped.

"Nothing. I just wanted to make sure you two were paying attention."

Sakura stepped off the bed and admired her work.

"You look _great_, Taiyou-chan!" She grabbed her friend's hand and pulled her into the bathroom.

"... Why do I feel like Yagami Light...?"

Sakura cracked up. "In all honesty, that's not how it was _supposed_ to be." she said, recovering for a minute.

New bangs fell across Mizuki's forehead, almost to her eyelashes. Her hair had been chopped into several layers and hung almost like a boycut. Overall, though, she was happy.

"Well... at least it's not so annoying anymore. Thanks, you guys."

Akemi smirked. "Anytime, Mizuki!"

"Let's go celebrate!" Sakura cried.

"Yeah... I want popcorn..."

"Shocker..." Sakura poked Akemi's arm lightly. "I want some tea, too."

"Ah, there we go." Akemi said. "I was all for you in the first place, wasn't it?"

"Well. Maybe I _won't _share my popcorn."

"You're not gonna eat it yourself and you know it!"

* * *

Again sitting on the countertops in Aizen's kitchen, the three proceeded to stuff their faces.

"Are you sure this is okay?" Akemi asked, though her speech was hard to understand.

"Totally." Sakura said, popping another potato chip into her mouth. "It's my kitchen too... I live here, ya know." She winked.

"I'm gonna ignore that comment." Akemi said quickly.

"Yeah, me too." Mizuki added.

Sakura shrugged. "Whatever."

"Having another little pow-wow in here?" Aizen asked, entering the kitchen.

"Why yes, it would appear that way, wouldn't it?" Sakura said, spreading peanut butter across a cracker. "Now, then. Leave us to our pow-wow." she added, putting a few M&M's on the top.

"Why are we suddenly the party room?" he asked, putting his hands on her waist.

"'Cause. We have a kitchen. With countertops." She pointed to the countertop she was sitting on. "And I like to sit on those while I eat. Now, scram." she said, waving a hand dismissively.

"Fine." Aizen said. "I just want some tea first."

Sakura held out her cup. "Here, take mine. I'll just go make some more."

Aizen smiled and left.

"I'm gonna ignore that little exchange..." Akemi said quietly as Sakura hopped off the countertop.

"Stop being like that."

"Like what?"

"That." she said, giggling.

Akemi rolled her eyes. "There are times when I would be really terrified to know how your brain works."

* * *

Sakura turned the big bowl that had held the popcorn upside down into the trash. She sighed- cleaning up after Akemi could be hell sometimes.

"What are you doing?"

Sakura turned around to face Aizen. "Cleaning up after my friends." she said lightly. "Seriously. Akemi never picks up after herself when she's been at my place. Not since I've known her." Sakura chuckled.

"So..." Sakura turned around to find Aizen right beside her.

"You're bored, aren't you?" Sakura asked.

"Partly." he said, picking her up and placing her on the countertop. "Aren't you?"

"Not really, no." she said. "I'm trying to do something."

"It can wait."

_Crap_, Sakura thought as she looked into his eyes and instantly forgot the witty comment she had been about to make.

"See? You're already agreeing with me."

"Shut up," she muttered as he kissed her.

* * *

"Gin."

Ichimaru sat up, looking at his fellow.

"Hey there, Kaname. What's goin' on?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Aizen-sama's behavior lately."

Gin sighed, pouting slightly. "Geez, Kaname. We can't talk about something unrelated to business...?"

"Gin. Get serious, here."

"Sorry. So, what exactly d'you find usual about his behavior, ne?"

"It would appear he's letting the Sakura girl influence his decisions. It worries me."

"Yeah... almost makes ya wonder..."

A brief silence passed through the room.

"So, then. You will talk to him about soon, I trust?"

Ichimaru waved a hand dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, sure." he muttered as Tousen left the room.

_He certainly is an interesting fellow_, Gin thought as he watched the blind man disappear.

**

* * *

****Author's Note:** I know, I know. This chapter _may_ ave been pretty pointless. But at least now you know for sure that Mizuki is indeed Switzerland. Also, dear Kaname's first appearance! Yay! xD

Reviews would be lovely, you guys! Please? Just one on this chapter, that's all I'm askin' for! xD;;


	12. L'Amoureuse: The Woman in Love

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. All music belongs to the respective owners/artists. I don't own Bleach, KAT-TUN or Carla Bruni in any way. If I did, I would have more money than God and there would be no need for me to write fanfictions. But alas, this is not the case. xD

* * *

"Ne, Aizen-sama...?"

Aizen sighed. "What is it, Gin?" he asked lazily.

"Well, ya see..."

Aizen closed his eyes and leaned back in the chair, sensing that Gin was about to go on a rant.

"Ya see, me 'n' Kaname had a lil talk recently... and... well, I know 's not my business er nothin', but we noticed that ya sure do let Sakura-sama's opinions influence yours pretty heavily..."

Aizen's eye snapped open, then narrowed dangerously.

"What are you saying, Gin?"

The rage in his leader's voice sent an involuntary shudder down Gin's spine.

"I was'n' implyin' nothin', Aizen-sama. Jus' somethin' we noticed, tha's all."

Aizen continued to glare threatingly at his subordinate.

"I was'n'!" Gin said defensively.

"You will not question my authority again. And _you will not question Sakura again_. Am I understood?"

Ichimaru bowed politely. "O'course, Aizen-sama. I getcha."

"Good. Now, I want you and Kaname to prepare the Espada today. We launch our attack in three days. We've got to be on top of our game."

Gin nodded. "Yessir."

* * *

The sound of clashing metal rang through the desert. Akemi and Sakura faced each other, panting, swords out and loosely in their hands.

"Do it again." Aizen said darkly.

"Are you kidding me?" Sakura yelled. "I've been trying to perfect this for hours, I'm tired as hell, how d'you expect me to-"

"_Do it again_." Aizen repeated, pinching his forehead in an attempt to get rid of a headache.

"_**Fine**_." Sakura snapped through clenched teeth as she released her sword. She lifted the pale blade, and pressed her lips against it before bringing it violently to her side.

The slim sword changed for very small and delicate to very bulky and frightening; Akemi had also learned recently that it weighed almost two hundred pounds to anyone but Sakura in this form; however, to Sakura herself, it was still about the same weight, just a larger exentsion of her arm. It was almost as long as her body, shaped almost like a machete, with another piece of metal coming over her where she had her hand. The hilt was wrapped where she lay her left hand; after that, it made a diamond shape before continuing another four or five inches. Rather than the almost-white metal it usually was, the blade now took a darker sheen. Blue-white light began to gather around the blade, and Sakura's eye took on a sky blue hue just before she charged.

Akemi blocked just in time. When her friend's wepaon was so large, it almost scared her to fight like this.

"Okay, do it now." Aizen said from his corner.

"_Hiraita sora wo tsukisase_ (1), _Etsuko!_" Sakura cried out.

The sword changed once again. Now, it took on the form of a medieval sword, with a wide hilt, and a large sapphire pressing in to it where the hilt met the handle. The blade itself was thin enough to slip between a pair of ribs, yet stout enough to hack through the hardest armor. The silver-white sheen was back in the metal, which gleamed wickedly in the moonlight. Black wings exploded from Sakura's back as the white of her right eye turned black and the iris began to fade to yellow-gold; however, her left remained green, clouded over by blue. Now Sakura, Etsuko, and Sakura's inner Hollow were as one.

"How long do you want me to keep the transformation up?" she asked Aizen, her voice only slightly disorted.

"As long as you can. Preferrably longer than last time."

She nodded once, then swung at Akemi.

"_What?_" she asked her friend, who merely blocked the attack. "It ain't training if you just stand there and _let _me it you, you dingbat." she said, using the flat of the blade to smack the top of her friend's head.

"Hey!" her friend yelped. "I'm not gonna let that one go!"

Sakura smirked. "_Now_ we're cookin'!"

* * *

Sakura pushed a hand nervously through her dark hair before pouring the hot water into one of the cups before her. With so little time before a huge battle, Aizen was on edge, and Sakura wanted nothing more than to help.

She sighed. Nobody ever bothered to help_ her_ when _she _was stressed out.

A few minutes, she entered the sitting room with two steaming mugs of tea. She held one out to Aizen, smiling sweetly.

"Thristy?" she asked quietly.

He took the mug from her as she settled down next to him on the couch, tucking one leg under her.

"Thank you."

She sipped her tea and smiled. "Anytime." She closed her bright eyes and leaned back against the couch.

"Tired?"

She could practically hear the smile in his voice. She opened her right eye to see him smirking at her over the rim of his mug.

"What do you think?" she asked darkly.

"I think you must be."

She glared at him again. "Wipe that stupid smirk off your face." she said through her teeth.

"I don't think so. You're kind of funny when you're angry."

She opened both her eyes, put the mug down, and turned to give him her fullest glare.

"Am I funny when I'm mad, Sousuke? _Am I?_"

He put his own mug down, turned towards her and brushed the hair out of her eyes.

"That depends." he murmured, their lips almost touching.

She squirmed away from him and took her empty mug into the kitchen. He stared after her before rising and following her.

"What was _that_?"

She turned around. "I'm sorry, what?" She yawned, attmepting to stretch out the action as much as possible. "Oh, that? I dunno... I'm just _really_ tired tonight... Think I'm gonna go to bed." She walked past him and patted his shoulder. "'Night, Sousuke." she said, stretching her arms up above her head as she walked to the bathroom.

As she yanked back the covers to get into bed, there were warm arms around her waist and Aizen's head was on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" she asked innocently.

"I shouldn't have yelled at you so much during your training today."

"Aw, that's sweet, but I know you didn't mean it." She smirked. She sure had learned a thing or two while she was here.

"I just want things to go..."

"Perfectly." she finished for him. "I know. I understand."

"But that's no excuse for me to wear you out and stretch you thin, as well." he said gently. "I'm sorry. I'll try not to be so harsh tomorrow."

She turned and leaned her head against his. "It's okay. I understand." She stiffled a real yawn this time. He released her, allowing her to slip into bed, before wrapping his arms around her again.

"I love you." he said gently, caressing her face.

Sakura's face promptly burst into flames. _**That **was unexpected_. Aizen smirked at the sudden heat in her face.

"... Yeah. I love you too."

* * *

_Flop._

That was the only word to describe Mizuki's mood right then. She absently wandered the halls, bored as hell, watching a KAT-TUN (2) video on her iPod.

"Woman."

She turned around.

"Hey. Emo Kid. I thought we agreed that you'd call me by my name a few months ago, ne?"

Ulquiorra's cold stare met her pretty grey eyes. "My apologies."

"Eh, don't be so formal about it." She waved a hand dismissively. "So, what're you doing?"

He stared. "Why do you wish to know?"

"'Cause. I'm bored as hell." She shrugged. "And I've got nothing better to do."

Ulquiorra turned around.

"I was returning to my quarters after talking with Szayel."

"Ah."

A lightbulb visibly clicked on in Mizuki's mind.

"Uhm... can I walk back with you? 'S not like I have anything else to do."

His tone was cold, but sounded somewhat interested. "If you wish."

She fell into step behind him, talking in the sights of the blank white walls around her.

"Ne, Ulquiorra!"

Ulquiorra sighed. "Hello, Nnoitra."

The other Espada leaned lazily against the wall. "So," he said, his eyes scanning over Mizuki, "Who's this? Pet-sama's replacement?"

_Pet-sama?_

"No. You're thinking of her friend. The dark-haired one that threatened to castrate you the other day."

Mizuki chuckled, shaking with restrained laughter. That sounded _so _much like Sakura.

"What's so funny 'bout that?" Nnoitra asked, looking at Mizuki again.

"I'm very sorry, but I have to ask... you were staring at her chest, weren't you?"

Nnoitra glared at the floor while Mizuki allowed a small giggle to escape her lips.

"Let me apologize for her. Sakura's incredibly touchy about her body, in case you didn't notice already." She took a deep breath to help surpress her laughter.

Nnoitra stalked away. Once he was out of earshot, Mizuki began to silently giggle.

Ulquiorra turned around.

"What is so funny, Mizuki-san?"

Mizuki composed herself for a moment. "I just... I have this image, in my head... of Sakura... goin' off on that Nnoitra guy... and it's kind of hilarious...!"

Ulquiorra shook his head as he opened the door to his room.

"I suppose I should thank you for walking with me."

She waved her hand again. "Anytime. I had fun." Mizuki smirked. "Now I have somethin' to go bug Sakura about later, which she'll bug Aizen about, and then... yeah."

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow at this strange woman's idea of a good time.

"I'm glad that I was able to provide you with some fun. Now, goodnight, Mizuki-san."

She nodded in his direction before turning around and walking back to her room.

* * *

"What language is this?" Aizen asked, staring at Sakura's MP3 player, which was playing her favorite Carla Bruni (3) song.

"French." she chirped. "Isn't it pretty?"

"The woman has a very lovely voice, yes. But the language itself is..."

"Yeah, I know." she said, turning back to the massive book in her lap. "I felt that way when I first heard it, too. It was like nothing I'd ever heard before." She puased to turn the page. "I'm of French descent, you know."

Aizen stared at her. "Really?"

She nodded once, not looking up from her book. "My great-to-the-fifth-power-grandfather came over here in either the late eighteen or early nineteen hundreds, I can't remember. But we've been here ever since." She sighed wistfully. "I wish I could learn to speak French, but I can't even pick it up enough to sing along with these songs. The pronounciation is unlike any other language I've been exposed to."

"How many languages _do_ you know?"

She stared up and pressed a finger to her bottom lip. "Well, I know Japanese, of course... I've been learning English off and on since I was little... this friend of mine from back in middle school's family is from Hawaii... this kid I've known since gradeschool is Vietnamese... and I took Spanish in my third year of middle school. So, I know three languages, and have been exposed to at least five." She noticed his astonished stare, and blushed. "It's a hobby of mine... I really am fascinated by other cultures for some reason." She turned back to her book, her overlong bangs falling over her eyes.

"Is your book good?"

"Actually, yes, it is, and it will continue to eat my brain until I'm done, so if you could go get me some tea and quit bugging me, that would be great."

Aizen sighed and stood up, passing Sakura back her earbud and stretching out before entering the kitchen.

As he went to return to her with her tea, he stared at her from the doorway. Why on Earth did this woman have some much power over him? Why was he suddenly unsure about sending her into battle before she was ready?

He shook his head. _That's nonsense, Sousuke, and you know it is._ he told himself. _She's stronger than Grimmjow, for crying out loud. She'll be fine._

Still, when he sat down next to her, these thoughts didn't stop him from wrapping his arms protectively around her while she happily drank her tea.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** I'm very sorry this chapter took so much longer than usual! I was held back by the release of _Breaking Dawn_. But, get used to it, peoples- I go back to school in about two weeks, so my only free time will be on weekends. xD

But anyway. All things explained:  
(1)- _Hiraita sora wo tsukisase_: Japanese for "Pierce the open sky". The command Sakura uses to release Etsuko.  
(2)- KAT-TUN: A J-Pop/J-Rock boyband consisting of **K**amenashi Kazuya, **A**kanishi Jin, **T**aguchi Junnosuke, **T**anaka Koki, **U**eda Tatsuya, and **N**akamura Yuichi.  
(3)- Carla Bruni: The current First Lady of France who, among many other things, is a singer/songwriter. Her newest album, _Comme si de rien n'était_ (As if Nothing Ever Happened), inspired most of this chapter. The album hits the United States on August 5th, 2008.

As always, feedback in the form of reviews would be much appreciated, folks. See you next chapter! ; )


	13. The Battle to Decide Them All

**Disclaimer:** Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. I don't and I never will. -pouts- If I did, there would be much more Aizen-love than there is. xD

* * *

Sakura stood in Western Rukongai, Aizen's arm casually around her waist. She placed a cold hand atop his, and turned to face her friends, who stood behind her. Akemi blushed and fidgeted with her top as Gin wrapped his arm around her shoulders; Mizuki and Ulquiorra stood together, talking quietly. Orihime stood off to the side near Tousen, staring right into Sakura's eyes and looking absolutely terrifyied. Sakura smiled warmly at the girl; her faced relaxed a little as she returned the smile. Sakura rested her head against Aizen's shoulder.

Aizen stared straight ahead.

"They know we're here." he said simply. Sakura nodded.

"Then it'll be that much more fun tearing the lot of them apart." she replied. It was impossible to miss the bloodlust that tinted her pleasant voice.

His free hand brushed her bangs from her eyes.

"Don't get killed."

"Okay."

"Don't get hurt."

"Okay."

"If anything happens to you, call for Orihime-chan and-"

"_**Okay**_."

Aizen stared straight ahead, at the seiretei.

"Sakura."

She looked up to see his hand slide inside his coat. She cocked her head to the side, wondering what he could possibly be up to.

Aizen slid a small black box out, then flipped it open and held it out for Sakura to see what was inside. Sakura gasped quite audibly, and everyone turned to look.

A tiny silver kanji "5" rested on the dark red satin inside the box, attached to a delicate silver chain.

"I-is this for _me_?" Sakura choked out.

"Yes. Just a good luck charm." Aizen said, moving behind her to clasp it around her neck. It rested about centimeter higher than Sakura's heart.

"Th... thank you..." she whispered, teary-eyed.

"Hey!" Akemi smacked her sister on the back. "Don't get all weepy on us!"

Sakura chuckled. "Sorry," she muttered, wiping away a stray tear.

Everyone stared at the city before them. The air suddenly seemed thick as all of them seemed to hold their breath, waiting for Aizen's command.

"Kaname. Send the Arrancar in."

Tousen nodded.

* * *

They watched safely from their place in Western Rukongai, not speaking, as the Arrancar battled it out.

"Ya think we should go in...?" Gin asked absently.

Aizen nodded.

"Espada. Go and assist."

The Espada all stepped forward.

"So long, Emo Kid Ulquiorra." Mizuki said politely, grinning at him.

"Goodbye, Mizuki. It was pleasant to get to know you. I shall see you on the battlefield."

Mizuki nodded once as he flash-stepped away.

* * *

The tiny group waited patiently as clashing metal, battlecries, and dying screams were heard.

"You ready?" Sakura asked quietly.

Aizen stared down at her.

"Only if you think you are."

She smirked wickedly, bloodlust obvious in her eyes. "Let's go!"

"Gin. Kaname. Akemi-san. Mizuki-san. Go assist the Espada. We're right behind you."

Akemi dashed to Sakura and threw her arms around her friend.

"Sakura."

"Yes...?" Sakura was having difficulty breathing, Akemi's hold was so tight.

"Don't die out there. Don't die on me, okay?!"

"Yeah... if you don't _suffocate_ me first, sure..."

"Oh! Sorry!" Akemi released her friend, then patted her shoulder. "Sakura, you know I love you, right?"

"Yeah." Sakura smiled sadly. "Prolly not more than I love you, but you know."

She watched Akemi leave with Ichimaru, a slight twinge of sadness in her chest.

Aizen tried to place his hand between her shoulder blades, but as always, she slipped away.

"Promise you'll come home."

She was taken aback by the words.

"Ne, stop acting like you care. It's starting to freak me out."

"But I _do_."

She met his eyes.

"Good. Maybe you should show it before I potentially walk to the end of my life?"

He was surprised by her sudden sharpness.

"I love you. Don't be so pessismistic."

She patted his shoulder. "Daijoubu (1). I'll try my best to kill as many of them as I can."

He kissed her forehead and began to walk away.

"Sousuke!" she ran to catch up with him.

"Yes?"

"...If something happens to me..." A cool breeze blew around them, blowing her overlong bangs away from her eyes. "... Take my body back to the living world. Tell my family what happened to me. And... tell Akemi to tell Izumi-sensei about what I think _really_ happened to Sayuri. She'll know what it means."

He noticed the tears in her eyes, but pretended not to as he caressed her face. "Why are you so prone to dramatics, love?" He smiled warmly at her. "Nothing will happen to you, and when this is over, we'll rule over this world together."

She smiled sadly. "Whatever you say."

He took her hand before sweeping her up in his arms and flash-stepping with her to the battlefield.

* * *

Sakura sprinted through the field, ignoring the ceros and blasts of kido going on around her. She knew which one she wanted.

The short white-haired boy stepped in front of her.

"Who are_ you_?"

"Ne, that's a_ good_ question." she answered, chuckling, "But it's a pleasure to meet you, Hitsugaya Toushirou."

Hitsugaya's blue-green eyes widenedslightly in surprise.

"How do you-?!"

"Oh, no reason..._ Aizen-sama told me_."

She grinned sadistically at the rage that crossed his face.

"I'm sorry, did I touch a nerve? ... Oh! Before I forget..." she lowered her voice accordingly, "... Tell me, how's _Momo-chan_ doing?"

"_That does it!_" the boy-captain snarled. "_I'll **kill** you!_"

Sakura chuckled. "I'd like to see you _try_, boy." she taunted, flashstepping behind him and slamming her elbow into his back.

"Ah...!"

"See what I mean? It'll only get worse." she said darkly, slamming her left fist into Hitsugaya's cheek. He slid back and drew his sword.

"Playing rough now, are we? Lovely." Sakura said, drawing her own blade.

* * *

Around half an hour later- though no one could be sure the time- Sakura rejoined her group.

"How'd you do?" Akemi asked.

"Great. Hey, Sousuke!"

Aizen looked over at her.

"Took down Hitsugaya."

He smirked. "I knew you could."

"It... wasn't too much fun, though." she said, disappointed.

An explosion of reiatsu turned her attention to the orange-haired boy she'd seen earlier.

"Hey... that looks... like me..."

Kurosaki Ichigo had gone into bankai.

"I'm gonna go fight him. Hiraita sora wo tsukisase, Etsuko!" she cried out, already running towards him.

Kurosaki turned to Sakura running at him. He quickly blocked her attack.

"You lookin' for a fight?"

She smirked evilly as her eyes changed and her wings exploded out of her back. "Hell yeah."

* * *

Suzuki Sakura's scream was absolutely hair-raising. Aizen, Akemi, and Mizuki rushed to the sound.

She lay on the ground in a pool of her own blood, a huge gash across her chest, blood all over her uniform, and her right arm in shreds.

Aizen's face darkened in rage.

"..._Kurosaki!_"

KUrosaki smirked. "What? Pissed that I beat your girlfriend?"

"_Hold your tongue, boy!_" Aizen turned his glare on Orihime. "Orihime!"

"I'm on it!"

"... No...!"

Orihime stopped as she saw Sakura's uneven eyes staring up at her.

"What?"

"Don't... waste your strength..." She smiled. "I don't... mind dying..."

Akemi dashed to Orihime's side.

"What's going on?!"

"...She said she _wants_ to die..." Orihime's face was as white as the uniform she wore.

"Sakura! _Suzuki Sakura!_"

Sakura stared up, half-dazed, into Akemi's determined face.

"You promised us you wouldn't die! You _promised_!"

"Aw... shut up... Akemi..." Sakura's breathing was becoming more and more labored. "... You know... as well as I do... that it's no good..."

"No, dammit! You _can't_ just give up!" Akemi turned over her shoulder. "Aizen! Come over here and talk some sense into her!" The tears in Akemi's eyes began to overflow.

"Stop crying... you'll make me cry too... you dingbat..."

Akemi stifled a sob as Aizen flash-stepped to her side.

"Sakura..."

She felt a warm hand brush the hair from her face, but her vision was too clouded to see who it was.

"...Sousuke...?"

"Do you really want to die, Sakura?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but ended up coughing blood. She gasped, caught her breath... and then her eyes closed.

"_**Sakura!**_"

"Sakura-san!"

"_No!_"

She heard the screams, but couldn't respond to them as she descended into unconsiousness...

* * *

_"Sakura."_

_Sakura opened her eyes to find herself lying on her back, in a drift of snow._

_"Etsuko. Hi." she said, getting up and brushing snow from her hair. The snow wasn't falling like the last time she'd been here; a cold wind blew sharply, and there was a gentle rain falling. Thunder boomed ominously and lighting flashed across the sky._

_"What's with the wacky weather?"_

_Etsuko stared at her. "Something is troubling you. That's what happens in this world when you are troubled."_

_"Oh."_

_"Sakura, **why** do you want to die?"_

_Sakura looked the ground._

_"It's not that I **want** to die, Etsuko... it's just that I feel that my time in this world is done. Sayuri is waiting for me." She smiled at the thought._

_"Now... Sakura, you have a choice to make. You can allow me, the Inoue girl, and your inner Hollow to save you... or, you can die at the hands of Kurosaki Ichigo. What do you choose?"_

_Sakura walked over to the great white tree and stood against it as the rain began to fall more heavily._

_"So that was his name..." She turned her eyes back on her sword._

_"Etsuko, he's stronger than me. There's **nothing** I can do about that. So, it would be honorable for me to die by his hand, yes?"_

_The blade-woman sighed as Sakura's inner Hollow appeared, hissing and sputtering in rage._

_"**What the hell is wrong with you?!**" it screamed. "**Where do you get off thinking you have the right to end my life as well, you little bitch?!**"_

_"**Silence**." Sakura said with a new conviction. "It's **over**. You're a monster. I won't give in to you, even if you **can** save me."_

_"What about Sousuke?" Etsuko asked._

_Sakura's memories of Aizen flashed through her mind. She sighed, tilting her head back to smile at the rain._

_"He'll be fine without me." she said quietly._

_"**Dammit!**" her inner Hollow screamed, kicking a snow drift._

_"Etsuko...?"_

_The blade-woman nodded. "I will return you to your world for your final moments. After you've said your goodbyes, it's all over."_

_Sakura nodded once, leaned her head against the tree, and closed her eyes..._

* * *

Sakura's eyes fluttered open.

"Sousuke...? ...Akemi...? ...Taiyou-chan?" she blinked.

"Thank _God_!" Akemi cried out.

"We thought we had lost you." Aizen said gently.

"Don't scare me like that _again_!" Mizuki yelled.

"You guys... thank you... for coming after me. I mean it." She smiled sadly at her friends. "You two... are no longer my friends."

The other two stared at her, unblinking.

"You are... my _sisters_..."

Sakura turned her gaze back to Aizen.

"... Nothing to say except that I love you..." she chuckled. "Funny... when I first came to Hueco Mundo, I _hated_ you... and now..." Sakura coughed blood again. Aizen stroked her hair.

"Don't worry, Sakura. It's alright now. ... I love you, too."

She smiled up at him.

"Good to know. Everyone... thank you... from the bottom of my heart... I love you all..."

She closed her eyes for the last time.

When Suzuki Sakura took her last breath, Aizen kissed her with as much passion as he could muster.

* * *

**Author's Notes:** All right, one more chapter to go! Bet you guys didn't see that one coming, did you? xD

(1)- _Daijoubou_: Japanese for something to the effect of, "Don't worry."

Thanks to everyone who reviewed throughout. I appreciate your feedback. Reviews are appreciated here as well, thanks.


	14. Epilogue: Sisterhood

**Disclaimer:** _Bleach_ and related characters, titles and settings are property of Tite Kubo and VIZ Media. I receive no monetary benefit from this work.

**Author's Notes:** Thanks to everyone who followed this story religiously- and those who took the time to read it through to the end. A _huge_ thanks to Tite Kubo for created _Bleach_ and the wonderful Aizen-sama, and to the ladies who inspired this (who know who you are)!

* * *

It ended as insanely fast as it began.

Aizen and the Arrancar surrendered once Aizen realized Sakura was dead. He approached Yamamoto-soutaichou with her body in his arms, saying that they gave up. Hinamori discovered a few hours later that Aizen was in custody of Soul Society, and requested to see him. Yamamoto-soutaichou denied her request; however, she was present at both the trial of Aizen, Ichimaru and Tousen, and Aizen's execution.

Tanaka Akemi and Nakamura Mizuki returned to the Living World with Sakura's body shortly after their trial. Both were banished from Soul Society and were robbed of their powers before their return.

Sakura's family did not believe their story, even after seeing Sakura's body. Mizuki discovered that her family had relocated to the Kantou region, and took a flight out there to meet them. Akemi passed her entrance exams, and was accepted to Tokyo University. She cried when her letter of acceptance came; Sakura had always told her that she would make it in.

Akemi did as she had been told and informed Izumi-sensei of Sakura's death a week before the funeral. The older woman burst into tears, and understood Akemi's request for an investigation against Takahashi-sensei. However, with no physical evidence against him, all the charges were dropped. To this day, none of them but him know the truth.

On the anniversary of Sakura's, Akemi and Mizuki came together at Sakura's grave. They each laid a white rose in front of the headstone, and Akemi brought one red one in the place of Aizen. They told Sakura about their year, and how they've been doing without her. Sakura's parents came after the sun sets to tell her how much they love her and miss her.

However, in a world somewhat far away, the wheels were turning to bring things back into place...

* * *

**To be Continued in**_ For a Lover_**...**


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